D&AD will be celebrating their 50th year in 2012, and with their new project briefs hot off the presses, this is the time of year when the organisation tours the Universities and Colleges of the UK, spreading the word of its amazing Education Network, and delivering workshops, lectures and seminars to the creatives of the future.
These events are also a chance for tutors from the various institutions to meet and get talking about the issues of the day.
This year D&AD's education event was hosted by Edinburgh College of Art (ECA), where students and tutors from ECA, Edinburgh's Telford, Edinburgh Napier, Newcastle and Sunderland were present.
We took along a contingent of 20 HND students, and as well as a cool industry-led workshop and a series of portfolio surgeries, they were treated to a great lecture by Jack Renwick, the former Creative Director at The Partners, the UK's leading Branding Agency. Jack has just set up her own, as yet un-named agency, and had all sorts of advice, insights and amusing anecdotes about the world of graphic design.
As well as showing some great samples of her innovative work at The Partners, she talked about the importance of team-work, nurturing client relationships, developing creative ambition, and having fun whilst thinking for a living.
The tutor round-table meeting, chaired by D&AD's Director of Education Rhiannon James, featured Dave Ward from Realise, Edinburgh's leading digital agency, presenting 'UpGrade' - an industry/education initiative piloted in collaboration with Edinburgh's Napier.
The project gave a class of undergraduate designers a six-week placement at the agency, shadowing key figures in the organisation and developing a short digital project with a virtual budget of 50K. Realise hope to roll out this model of employer engagement to other institutions.
As usual, everything D&AD does is inspiring and this was another great event.
Our HND Year 1 and 2 students will be assigned D&AD project briefs during the first week of January 2012.
