The aim was to explore formative factors in developing excellence in students' industrial design capability prior to university. The method used was to interview a sample of the highest performing first year industrial design students at Loughborough University. In parallel a small group of staff conducted a reflective analysis on the approaches to design which students in the cohort as a whole brought with them on entry. Factors emerging from these sources are then juxtaposed with some of the literature and discussed with the intention of identifying areas for further research which could inform the teaching of design at a secondary schools level. Key limitations are that the approach of using eight high performing students means that the findings may not transfer to a 'normal' population, or, indeed, a different sample of high achievers. We need to be aware that the students were identified as 'high achievers' on the basis of achievement in the first semester design practice module rather than the industrial design course as a whole. In addition it is acknowledged that the objectives of design in secondary education are broader than feeding undergraduate design courses. Background This section explores some of the relevant literature that deals with the growth of a child's design ability from the early pre-school years through primary and secondary education. Baynes (1996) explores children's early encounters with design in pre-school years. He re-visits much of the psychology and sociology of childhood and relates it to the type of play activity that is a precursor to design activity. He concludes that children need both suitable resources for designerly play and support from relevant adults in valuing that play.