The annual Enlighten Competition, supported by High Technology Lighting, saw graduating design students exhibiting their work to industry professionals.

The Enlighten Award, which is always based around an energy efficient source, is designed to raise awareness of the industry sector and help identify the potential lighting design stars of the future. The students were given the choice of two energy efficient light bulbs to build their design around.

The judges, last year's winner, Chris Broomfield, High Technology Lighting's lighting designer, Richard Whawell, and Northern Key Accounts manager with Philips Lighting, David Williamson, were looking for creative designs with the potential for commercial success.

The students gave the judges a hard decision to make as they had all fulfilled the brief, between them presenting an array of ingenious and aesthetically pleasing lighting. They all had the opportunity to present their work to the judges and explain their concept and the process that had led them to their final design.

Overall winner, Rodd McClintock impressed the judges with his 'Lumin-eye' and 'Michi' designs inspired by coral. The first design, a chrome dome with colourful flocked interiors mimics coral with reflected light creating its vibrant layered colours. The second design has tentacles of felt spiralling out from a central dome.

In second place, Andrew Webb's 'Driplite' is the combination of a drip and the resulting splash. Born out of experimentation with dripping wax and latex paint Andy's work makes an underlying ethical statement of how energy is wasted.

Coming third, Mark Ayres is a Tiffany lighting fan and wanted to emulate and update their style. However he soon found working with stained glass and lighting shapes was time-consuming and was limiting his design. He therefore started to experiment with shapes and frames to create a modern wood surround and dome light.

All of the students' work will be on display at the School of Landscape, Architecture & Design's end of year show which opens tonight with a private view.