TAVISTOCK College's top product design students are taking part in extra classes to improve their knowledge and design skills.

Teachers Pete Keegan, Mike Holt, Rob Moore and Gary King have arranged the after-school sessions as part of the college's additional provision for gifted and talented students.

The students undertook a project to design a laser cut memory stick before moving on to using alternative sources of energy.

Mr Keegan said: 'This enrichment programme in product design is challenging students to expand their design thinking; use a wider variety of tools and equipment; gain a deeper understanding of a designer's responsibility towards the environment; and consider their power to influence change and help create a better planet.'

During the first project, students were given the chance to advance their product design skills and learn how to use computer aided design and manufacturing (CAD and CAM) programs.

They made their own personalised memory sticks, using a laser cutter. They drew shapes on a special computer program and sent them to a machine which laser cuts them.

Mr Keegan encouraged the students to think about possible influences and what would make a good memory stick.

The group decided the product would need to have strong ergonomic design and be the right size to use with a laptop.

Explaining his design process, Luke Samson-Hill said he was going to make a curvy memory stick but decided to use straight lines because it would be easier to grip when pulling it out of the computer.

'I like the fact that product design is hands-on and not just working out of books,' he added.

Emily Tidy designed a guitar, with the main body of the instrument used as the handle for the memory stick.

'I decided on that because it was a nice design and it was quite challenging and interesting and I used to play the guitar,' she said.

'I like these classes; they're fun and the practicals are really good. It's a good opportunity. I feel really proud of myself because I didn't realise I was this good at product design; I feel really privileged to get the chance of doing extra activities.'

Jed Coiley chose to produce a spearhead design with additional function as an LED torch.

'I thought I would make something quite cool, funky and fun,' he said. 'It's really cool to be chosen because we get to do stuff like this. I work really hard in product design so I'm pleased it's paid off.'