James Dyson Award past winners: OASIS, 2023

As someone with ADHD, I've noticed how my attention can be influenced, both positively and negatively, by my environment. Over time, I started to spot patterns – some spaces helped me stay on track, while others challenged my ability to stay focused. I wanted to find a solution that would help me navigate these environments without having to isolate myself. This inspired me to invent OASIS, an inclusive design project as part of my undergraduate thesis.

I read about the James Dyson Award in James Dyson’s book, “Against The Odds”, when I was 16. My teacher recommended the book to me because she knew I was interested in product design! Back then, the thought of even entering the competition felt like a pipe dream. Fast forward to my final year at university, I came across James Dyson's autobiography, “Invention”, which rekindled my interest in the Award. I saw other student projects make their mark through the competition, which gave me the push to finally give it a shot. So I wrapped up my final-year project, went on a holiday to recharge, came back, and entered – literally the day before the Award closed!

On a personal level, I didn't feel confident to turn a university project into a startup. I was very critical of my ideas. But winning the James Dyson Award helped me believe that OASIS had real potential! Seeing the recognition it received, from people who read about it in the news to business professionals who saw its market value, ultimately encouraged me to take my invention to the next step.

A lot! Life went from 0 to 100 really quickly after I won the Award. I left my job and launched a startup, The Focus Co., and also began a PhD in Inclusive Design & Creative Technology. At The Focus Co., my friend Vadim and I are further developing OASIS to bring it to market very soon. What sets The Focus Co. apart is our approach, we work by an inclusive design playbook to create products for neurodivergent minds that appeal to a wider market.

As for my PhD, that happened kind of accidentally. The psychological impact of OASIS's design has unveiled a new gap in research, which I'm now exploring with the University College Dublin's Smartlab, a team of inclusive design researchers who are all doing really exciting work.

It’s one thing to design a college project. It’s a whole other story to actually develop a business case for it and bring it to market. There are many new factors that I now have to consider in my design process which didn’t exist in the bubble of design school. I’ve always felt limitations spark creativity and so aligning the limitations of business with the impact of the product has been one of my biggest learnings over the last two years. In essence I now have to wear two hats instead of one: the designer hat and the business hat.

The big goal for OASIS is preparing it for manufacturing, which is both terrifying and exciting. Following this, we plan to release the product in limited batches in 2026. There are many, many smaller goals in between those big goals, so we’re taking it step by step.

What makes it easier is having a community involved in our product development process. We’ve built a community of testers around the product over the past year by sending out early demo prototypes and gathering their feedback. It’s been really useful and insightful to work closely with our end-users.

I recommend first understanding the ethos of the Award, and a great starting point is James Dyson's autobiography, "Invention", where he talks about the value of learning through failure, trusting your instincts and staying resilient in the face of challenges.

During your design process, prioritise making an impact. Focus on what your idea can achieve, whether through novel technology or creative industrial design. You should also try to quantify your impact. How many lives could it improve? How much energy could it save? Metrics like these show the difference your project can make.

Also, be curious throughout your design journey, and keep asking yourself the "what ifs." Explore multiple ways to solve the problem and create prototypes as proof of concept. For my application, I made a computer-rendered video of my concept as well as demonstrative prototypes.

Finally, make sure to tell a compelling story in your application. Start by laying out the problem your invention addresses. Who experiences this problem, and what solutions have others tried before? Then dive into your own solution, why you pursued it, your design process, and your invention's potential impact. Wrap this up by discussing your future plans, whether that's conducting further research or working towards commercialisation.