The Design & Technology Association is proud to enter its second year supporting Samsung's Solve for Tomorrow competition.

Solve for Tomorrow is a free-to-enter, tech-for-good competition which empowers students aged 11-18 to solve real-world problems in one of three carefully selected design contexts. Its objective is to empower young people, regardless of their background, to develop the future-ready skills required not just for employment, but for modern life.

In this podcast, we are joined by Jessie Soohyun Park (Head of Corporate and Social Responsibility for Samsung Electronics UK), and Amanda Moffatt and Lucinda Holmes, Head of D&T and STEM, and Art and Design and Technology teacher at Alderman Peel High School in Norfolk.

Alderman Peel entered all Year 9 students in the competition last year, and a group of Lucinda's students not only made it to the final but also won overall in their age group.

This year, Solve for Tomorrow is timed to coincide with Green Careers Week, which is scheduled to run nationally from November 2nd to 6th. This week highlights sustainable career pathways, emerging green technologies, and eco-friendly skill sets for young people, teachers, and parents.

Whether you want to learn more about Solve for Tomorrow and enter your own students, or follow the journey of two experienced teachers who successfully immersed themselves and their students in last year's competition, this podcast has something for everyone.

So, sit back, relax and listen to Designed for Life - In Conversation discussing Samsung Solve for Tomorrow & Green Careers Week.

To find out more about Solve for Tomorrow, please follow this link: https://solvefortomorrowuk.com/?utm_source=D&TA&utm_medium=Hark&utm_campaign=Oct_2026-Podcast-DesignTechnologyLeads-Secondary-UK-&utm_content=shownotes

And a press release celebrating last year's winning team from Alderman Peel High School: https://www.wensumtrust.org.uk/aldermanpeel/news-and-events/aphs-news/alderman-peel-students-impress-at-samsung

For the second year running, I am delighted that Designed for Life was recorded live at New Designers in London in early July.

I know some listeners won't be familiar with New Designers (https://www.newdesigners.com/), so what is it, and why is it so important?

New Designers is the UK's leading annual graduate design exhibition, showcasing the work of over 2,500 emerging designers across disciplines like product design, textiles, graphics, and contemporary crafts. Held in London every summer, it's a chance for newly graduated students to showcase their work, meet other students, and hopefully meet industry professionals who can help them enter the industry and sometimes assist with arranging interviews and work placements... It's a big deal!

This year, the quality of work demonstrated was, in my opinion, as varied across sectors and as high in quality as it has ever been (interestingly, that's not the opinion of some people online).

In this podcast, you'll hear a range of short conversations with students presenting at the show. I wandered the show, taking in all the presentations, and then went back to those that caught my eye, subjective, I know but hopefully I have managed to pick a pretty diverse group to talk to across materials and sectors.

Obviously, to gain full benefit from the pod, you also need to see the products described. We will put these on our website and add a link at the bottom of the show notes when it goes live.

Just two of the designers featured on this pod:

Freddie Bowhill
Fbowhilldesign. com

A purpose-built, fully inflatable rooftop tent for the weekend warrior to embrace the outdoors without the faff. Designed for the 17-year-old fresh from their test. The grandparents on kid duty. The full-time worker chasing two days out of seven. Structured weeks, narrow windows, every hour to count. Grab it from the closet, throw in the boot, pull over, pump it up, sleep anywhere. At 12kg and pitched in under two minutes on any roof bar, A-FRAME is the lightest, fastest, and most compact rooftop tent on the market. Built to be repaired. Built to CHASE THE FEELING.

Freja Malle Høyer

Instagram: frejamalle.embroidery .

Sit back and listen to Designed for Life, recorded live at New Designers 2026

To see some of the images mentioned on this podcast, visit Designed for Life - New Designers 2026 | D&T Association

3D printing has gone from strength to strength in recent years within UK schools and is now firmly established as one of the major tools used by students to fast prototype.

The majority of D&T departments now have at least one printer, and with the market now dominated by Bambu Lab, these new machines are making 3D printing available to all (including many students now having their own machines at home); it is clear that the use of 3D printing will continue to grow and develop within education.

Phil Cotton saw an opportunity some years ago, and, as a teacher and Head of Department, was an early adopter of 3D printing. As he used it more in his own school and shared his experiences online, he noticed other teachers reaching out for help and advice...in this way, Learn by Layers, an online 3D printing educational platform, was born.

Over the years, the platform has grown and developed into a small business supporting educational printing worldwide. A Bambu curriculum was added as Phil adapted the content to meet teachers' needs and requests.

LearnBylayers provides ready-to-teach 3D printing resources for schools and is currently taught in over 1500 schools in 33 countries.

We pick up this conversation as Phil readies himself to diversify his online offering into online revision, supporting STEM subjects with the release of the Studylayers platform (more information within the pod). As we prepare for the start of a new term, grab your earpods, grab a tea or coffee, put your feet up for 50 minutes, and listen to Designed for Life, in conversation with teacher and founder of Learn by Layers, Phil Cotton.

www.learnbylayers.com

Studylayers link

https://www.learnbylayers.com/studylayers/