AV Dawson, owner and operator of Port of Middlesbrough, has worked with a local college to create its port in 3D virtual reality to enable prospective customers across the world to view its facilities.
Students at The Northern School of Art, which is based in Middlesbrough, took part in the competition to develop 3D designs of the port and its facilities.
The students aged 17 and 18, who were enrolled on the college’s 3D visualisation course, worked in teams to design one of two locations at the port – the quayside and the automotive metals distribution centre.
The project ran over four weeks during January, allowing the students to practice their design skills and pitching skills, while working on a live brief to help them prepare for the next stage of their careers.
The Teesside logistics firm is now looking to use these designs for its business development activities with prospective clients.
AV Dawson’s group managing director, Charlie Nettle said:
“It’s been great working with the students on a project that has the potential to revolutionise the way we showcase our facilities to customers, key stakeholders and suppliers.
“The 3D models will open doors to potential customers, allowing them to really visualise precisely what our facilities look like and how they operate.
“It will be fantastic for customers – especially overseas customers – to experience what our port is like without necessarily having to fly over to visit it for themselves. We’re a people-focused business, so we’re certainly not suggesting that face-to-face discussions are not important. This just gives prospective customers the option to view our site virtually or for us to visit them and take the technology with us. These options provide a more time efficient solution for customers.”
The students worked with the port operator for a total of four weeks. During this time the students had the opportunity to learn more about Port of Middlesbrough and its facilities through undertaking a site visit. This enabled the students to gain a better understanding of what the facilities looked and felt like – before beginning the design process.
In the final week, students were invited back to Port of Middlesbrough to pitch their ideas to AV Dawson’s marketing team and the group managing director. They had to present the process of building the design, before using a virtual reality headset to showcase their creations.
Jack Pratt, Lecturer at The Northern School of Art said:
“The project is of immense value to the students as it provides a key insight into the world of professional design.
“Our students responded to a challenging creative and technical brief, they faced deadlines reflective of the fast-paced nature of the industry and they applied the skills they have learnt so far on the course in a professional context.
“One of the greatest elements of value from the collaboration is the opportunity for students to present their creative portfolio to AV Dawson, which in turn develops vital professional skills including pitching and communication.
“It’s critical that students are given opportunities like this to build their experience. On behalf of The Northern School of Art I want to thank AV Dawson for their willingness and enthusiasm to work with us on this project and we look forward to seeing how it evolves in years to come.”
Since the project completed at the beginning of February, The Northern School of Art has undertaken further collaborative work with AV Dawson, by having a joint exhibition stand at STEM Fest North East – an exhibition aimed at primary and secondary school students, encouraging them to pursue a career in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).
Charlie Nettle continued:
“We live in a technology-driven world and VR (Virtual Reality and AR (Augmented Reality) are playing a growing role within it. As a business, we are exploring these innovative technologies to identify areas where we can improve the way we work internally and with our customers. VR and AR will most likely become standard parts of most industries in the future so it’s important to keep up with the pace of change.
“Everybody works in different ways, and incorporating this technology into our daily lives allows us to become more inclusive employers and more relevant to the next generation too. We are constantly looking at ways we can be more inclusive and have recently worked with Daisy Chain in Teesside to help us become more inclusive for people who are neurodivergent.
“This VR software we are using to create the port in 3D, is an excellent example of something that is enabling us to be more of an inclusive organisation and better support neurodivergent people, as the software offers a more interactive and engaging experience for people with diverse learning styles. By providing a tailored experience through the VR software, we are accommodating people with sensory sensitivities and preferences.”