Curiosity Takes the Stage at the D&T Excellence Awards

Published 13th October 2025

The Design & Technology Association’s Excellence Awards 2025 celebrated innovation, education, and the transformative power of design, with a thought-provoking keynote speech from inventor and engineer Jude Pullen, whose talk “Incurably Curious” captured the spirit of the evening.

The annual awards recognise outstanding contributions to the teaching and advancement of design and technology across the UK. Teachers, industry leaders, and students gathered to celebrate excellence in creativity, problem-solving, and practical innovation, values at the heart of D&T education.

Incurably Curious

Jude Pullen, a designer whose career spans Sugru, Dyson, LEGO, and the BBC’s Big Life Fix, gave an inspiring reflection on his journey from school workshops to global innovation labs. His talk explored how curiosity fuels progress, not just in technology, but in how young people learn to engage with the world.

Drawing on experiences from his work in R&D, design engineering, and technology scouting, Pullen invited the audience to “begin by beginning,” sharing the words of a mentor that shaped his creative philosophy. Through stories of hands-on projects, from repairing broken headphones to exploring AI hardware in schools, he reminded attendees that design is as much about process and play as it is about perfection.

“Serious technology doesn’t mean you have to be serious,” Jude explained, encouraging teachers to embrace experimentation and imperfection as part of learning. His keynote celebrated “habits of curiosity”, urging students and teachers to build for fun, seek out the “boring,” and get playful with AI.

Celebrating the Best in D&T

The Excellence Awards honoured exceptional teachers, schools, and organisations who are inspiring the next generation of designers, engineers, and innovators. Categories recognised achievements in teaching, leadership, sustainability, and industry partnerships, all reflecting the Association’s mission to ensure that design and technology education thrives nationwide. The evening reinforced the message that design and technology is a vital foundation for the skills Britain needs in the 21st century.

Vision for the Future

As the event drew to a close, Jude Pullen’s message resonated strongly: curiosity is not a luxury but a habit to be cultivated. In a time when technology is evolving faster than ever, the ability to ask good questions, and build creative answers, remains the ultimate design skill.