Celebrating Achievements and Inspiring Futures – Running a Parent & Daughter Design Challenge

Being a member of the Design and Technology Department at Wimbledon High School brings many highlights throughout the year but the WHS Design Studios Showcase Evening, held as the 2024–25 academic year drew to a close, was a standout moment. Wimbledon High is an independent school for girls aged 4-18 which prides itself on its strong reputation for STEAM and Design and Technology is a key part of our offering at GCSE and A level, so much so that a regular stream of girls go on to study Design-related courses at university.  Our annual Showcase Evening has three key aims; to celebrate the work of our outgoing Class of 2025, to inspire GCSE students with insights from A Level students, and to demonstrate how design thinking skills can be transferred from GCSE to A Level and onto further study and future careers. This year included the launch of our inaugural Parent & Daughter Design Challenge as a way of strengthening connections with our parent and alumnae communities. While all three aims contributed to the evening’s success, this article will predominantly focus on the third; how we launched our inaugural Parent & Daughter Design Challenge and why it might be worth trying in your own school.

The task was simple. Year 10 students were paired with their parent(s), or a trusted adult(s), and they were competing against their classmates to design and prototype a product that teaches a key life skill. While all teams responded to the same brief, we split participants into the specialism they currently study at GCSE; either Product Design, Graphic Design, or Textiles, this was to make the most of each department’s atmosphere, resources, and teaching staff. To make the challenge accessible, fast-paced, and engaging for students and parents alike, we implemented a four-step design process. Each team received a pack of ‘Design Skills Cards’ and worksheets to support them at every stage. Here's how we ran it:

Throughout the evening, classrooms paused to hear from our current Year 12 students. Each pair, one A Level Product Design student and one A Level Fashion & Textiles student, eloquently answered the same set of questions, offering their unique perspectives. There were three themed pairs, each focusing on a different stage of their journey:

• Before – eg why did you choose to study this A Level subject after GCSE?

• During – eg what kind of projects have you worked on?

• After - eg how has studying this subject helped shape your career or university aspirations?

In addition, we shared the breadth of destinations our alumnae have progressed to both in terms of subject areas and university locations. This portion proved particularly insightful for parents. We hope that this peer-led format not only encourages meaningful vertical connections between students but also sparks conversations at home about how Design & Technology can shape their daughters’ futures.

As the design challenge reached its crescendo, ideas, materials, and equipment bounced around the rooms as teams created their prototypes using paper, card, and fabric. I was able to step back and take in the elated looks on students’ faces as they experienced eureka moments; the pride of parents watching their daughters navigate sewing machines, craft knives, and glue guns with confidence; and the joy of teachers seeing their empowered students collaborate and guide their parents toward a practical outcome.

The competition concluded with each team delivering a two-minute elevator pitch. Functions were clearly explained, aesthetic decisions were justified, and GCSE theory was confidently woven in as part of their bid to impress the judging panel. Though there were many strong contenders, three winning students walked away with a copy of DESIGN(H)ERS: A Celebration of Women in Design Today and a Pith® sketchbook ready to capture their next big idea.