TV presenter and successful Dragons Den candidate, Max McMurdo, has received an honorary degree from Bournemouth University.
Max, best known for roles on shows including George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces, Shed of the Year, and Tool Club, has been recognised for his career helping people to live more affordably and sustainably.
This is Max’s second degree from Bournemouth University after he graduated in Product Design Visualisation in 2000, going on to become a car designer for Ford.
Max’s television career began with the BBC’s Dragon’s Den, when he secured investment to create high-end furniture from items destined for landfill. His range of eye-catching chairs and sofas, made from old shopping trolleys and bathtubs, went on to be purchased by clients including The Body Shop and Google.
More television appearances followed as Max’s project to create his own home from an old shipping container was broadcast by Channel 4. What started out as a design challenge to re-imagine existing products, became a way of drawing attention to how we can live more sustainably and affordably, and reduce waste.
Max still uses his design skills to find solutions to everyday problems and to make a social impact through his work.
Looking back at his time as a BU student, Max said "I fell in love with Bournemouth - the beach, the people and of course the university. The course suited me perfectly and I look back on it really fondly and it's really nice to be associated with Bournemouth University and the town.
When asked what his advice will be to the graduates sitting in the same hall as him twenty years ago, Max said, "The big wide world awaits, I'm going to tell to try and look at things differently, be inspirational and do it with kindness."
Professor John Vinney, Vice-Chancellor of Bournemouth University, said, “It has never been more important for us to live more sustainably and reduce waste. And in the current climate, many households are looking for ways to keep their living costs as low as possible. It is great to see that since graduating from BU, Max has gone on to help others by putting all this at the forefront of his career in product design.”
Max received his Honorary Doctorate of Arts degree at the university’s graduation ceremony at the Bournemouth International Centre on Thursday 9th November.
