2010 marks the thirtieth year since the inception of what is now Innovation Design Engineering (IDE) – a unique joint double Master’s course between the Royal College of Art and Imperial College London. The world of design has changed dramatically since 1980, and now IDE students work in a fertile innovation environment where people from many different backgrounds (design, engineering, commerce and science) and from multiple cultures, countries and experiences explore and create innovative design propositions.

The work in SHOW 2010 comes from the second year of the course, when students work on two projects: one in teams and one as individuals. Innovative design development is about striving for original works of world-changing impact. How do the students achieve this? It needs passion, intelligence and a curiosity to explore the unknown – there are no standard instructions, nor is there obvious wayfinding to produce the right outcome. But once you see the results, I am sure you will agree that while there may be no book of spells, there is magic.