After finishing my BA in Industrial Design in Israel, I worked in a design firm but I wasn’t comfortable with the ethics and morals of working on mass-production plastics. I was most interested in the design process itself – from ideas to materialisation – and wanted to explore this more. My BA had been about the rigid practical, methodical and commercial side of design, and I wanted to learn more in a creative environment. Mobility is something we can’t live without, so I decided to explore vehicle design.

Starting the course was a whole new world – I had never sketched a car before, so I’ve had to learn a new set of skills. The Vehicle Design Department pushes for innovation and encourages us to be critical about our work. The College opens up so many opportunities and possibilities; the course has great links with industry and I am doing an internship with a major car-manufacturer this summer. I also find a lot of inspiration in other departments and think that the proximity to other disciplines widens your perspective.

I have found the dissertation process to be a great experience. As a designer, it is very important to have theoretical ideas alongside the practical as it helps you refine your practice. I am not sure what kind of design I will move into after the course, but I am very open to possibilities. I have gained a lot of experience, and I will graduate a better designer, whatever I decide to do.

I’ve worked in the School of Fashion & Textiles part-time at the Royal College of Art for 22 years, running the yarn store. In 2005 I was awarded funding from the staff research and development fund to work on a research project looking at the use of materials in automotives. I really enjoyed the research and once the project had ended, I decided I wanted to further my career by studying for a PhD. I’d worked in textiles for a long time and was frustrated by the fact that textiles are not a final product until they are made into something. I wanted to apply my materials knowledge to the specific arena of automotive interiors, looking at better uses of materials for people and the environment.

Studying at the RCA has been a very positive experience for me; I have increased my knowledge and gained confidence particularly in presenting my work. Also, I have met many people in different departments across the College and have recently been appointed the Innovation Design Engineering Research Co-ordinator. I’ve also become involved with InnovationRCA and Design London, which have given excellent support and advice to help develop my ideas towards business. I have had a lot of interest from industry in my work and have been loaned a car, which has become my laboratory of material possibilities. Linking academia with industry is very important, and I would like to continue to work in both fields. I wish to see how what I am developing can be used in the real world.