DNN Exemplars

Exemplars Projects

The Exemplar Projects were chosen for support where good design approaches will make a real difference to a project’s success and our intervention will encourage others to adopt design thinking and processes.

Each Exemplar project went through a rigorous selection process where they presented their ideas for new products which required help to get them to market, either through direct support from Design Network North or other regional bodies. The support given to each projects ranged from product or service design, business planning, licensing, intellectual property or more technical assistance.

The purpose of the Exemplar Projects was to bring together multi-disciplinary teams including academics, businessmen and designers to work on high value market opportunities utilising design as an enabler of innovation. With the overall aim to collate the experience across the entire core projects and then these findings be applied into a best practice methodology to improve future regional performance.

All completed Exemplars can be found in our New Product Design & Development Showcase or on the menu on the left hand side.

Videos: Lessons in design

Watch the latest films, by clicking on the arrows below, about lesson in design from designing to cost through to how design can define a product.


How design can define a product >>>	Turning research into a consumer product >>>	Designing to cost >>>	Reducing the risk through prototyping >>>

Using analysis tools in the design process >>>	Customer focused design >>>	The importance of branding in a competitive market >>>	Collaboration on design projects >>>

Utilising strategic design >>>	Realising opportunities through good design >>>

30 successful Exemplar projects:

For more information on each successful Exemplar projects click on on the image or company name below.


Abfad Magnetic positioning aid	Activ8VPS Geofenced Virtual Parking Bay System	Ameeca Strategic review of the business from a design thinking point of view	Blucurve Water cooler

Braddan Structures Trailer Safety System	Deadgood New furniture collection from an industrial process	Developmental Solutions Sleep sling anti-colic system	Elecscoot Electric Scooter

Electrochemical Sensor Technology (EST) Ltd Design of a water testing instrument	Godfrey Syrett Introduction of emotional design into office furniture	Hill View Windows French door security system	IEvo Ltd Biometric building entry control

Lamplas Shower Module	Lebeado Portable Jewellery Display System	Miller Excavator quick coupler	Miko Engineering Design of street furniture for the ageing population

Mre Design & Engineering Electrical earth clamp	Neecom Home energy management system	Northumberland Cheese Company Strategic review of the business from a design thinking point of view	SanFresh Innovative air freshener

Seaward Electronics Ltd Electrical testing probe	Shoo Fly Publishing Ltd Interactive Learning	Sizzlin Sister Adjustable clothing design	Streamline Tools Portable baby feeding system

Tegrel Charging post for electric vehicles	Traidcraft Branding and packaging design	UBU Furniture design	Velocity Road patching machine

Xxtractor Post extraction system	Vet Direct Veterinary Operating Table