My time at Brighton has been really rewarding and fulfilling. The course itself was very close-knit and collaborative where I have gotten to meet and work with people from different years with different passions. The tutors also come from various backgrounds which diversified my learning — there was never really a ‘right’ answer, just different perspectives.
Please tell us a bit about your work and your influences
Diet culture has sabotaged many young women’s relationship with food and their bodies by promoting an exclusive way of eating ‘right’. In my final year project, I’ve designed a device — Opal — that measures biological hunger to help these women relearn how to eat according to their internal cues instead of external influences. It uses NIR technology (near-infrared light) to take glucose measurements non-invasively, which is converted into hunger levels. Opal’s digital interface also provides a reflective and mindful approach to record intake, as opposed to current diet-tracking apps doing so in a quantitative and obsessive manner.
This project was heavily drawn from personal experiences and the stories I’ve heard from the people around me. Diet culture has seeped into the cracks of our daily lives and I was determined to find a way to fix — if not to help cope with — it. From doing the Human-Centred Design studio, I was also inspired to make products that aids users to live in the moment as opposed to drawing their attention away from reality.
How have you found your course and time at Brighton?
My time at Brighton has been really rewarding and fulfilling. The course itself was very close-knit and collaborative where I have gotten to meet and work with people from different years with different passions. The tutors also come from various backgrounds which diversified my learning — there was never really a ‘right’ answer, just different perspectives. We were also encouraged to pursue our own interests within the course so I got to build a portfolio that worked for my aspirations.
How did you choose your course – why did you choose to study Product Design?
I have so many different interests within the design world so it was hard for me to choose one subject to pursue at first. I chose product design as you get to learn all the skills that are specific to the work you want to do. For example, I’ve got to work on my traditional product design skills like prototyping, research and sketching as well as something like video-editing, graphic design and animation too.
What are your plans after graduation?
I’ve accepted an offer to work as a visual designer at Amplify in London after graduation — I’m a digital graphics designer at heart and am thrilled to begin my career in something I’m genuinely excited to do!
Visit Josephine’s website at www.josephinechoy.com
Find out about studying Product Design with Professional Experience at the University of Brighton.
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