Studio Space R310

Our graphic design students will be working in a revamped studio space in R310 this year.

The studio now boasts an awesome black and white mural, depicting the design process. The mural, which is 5.5m long and 2m in height, was created by HND Visual Communication graduate Adam MacDonald, who spent a week over the summer drawing out the characters, icons and diagrams in his own unique style.

Many thanks again to Adam, who is now working as a junior designer with Edinburgh-based advertising and design company The Covey Agency.


Details:








As well as the mural, we've made rearrangements to our archives, supplies and workspaces, and have acquired a large selection of new paper, in every A size and in a variety of weights, and including translucent, day-glo, satin and grained finishes.

In due course the team will be announcing plans for Induction week, which will commence the week starting Monday 29th August.

D&AD News

As we prepare for the new session, we've been informed by D&AD that all University Network members will be receiving ten free entries to the Student Awards this coming year. The 2012 briefs will be rolling out during October and as usual will feature as part of the project delivery for HND 1 and 2.

Some other interesting news is that in collaboration with Google, D&AD recently launched Show and Tell, a YouTube channel where a selection of the latest creative marketing videos and campaign ads are available. Curated by D&AD, the channel showcases the best virals, home pages, interactive adverts and brand channels.

The idea is that D&AD invite producers and creatives across Europe to submit their latest work and showcase their talent. As the content grows, Show and Tell will include learning resources for creatives and students, along with case studies and analysis from leading producers and commentators. This will be a great resource for our classes during the 2012 session.

Forthquarter Design Winner

l/r - Chris Hughes, Graphic Design Tutor, Fiona McKenzie, Regeneration Manager for National Grid, Michael Kerr, David Hiddleston, Curriculum Manager.

Well done to HND Year 1 student Michael Kerr, whose Graded Unit project, a live brief for National Grid to produce signage for the Forthquarter development in Granton, was selected as the winning submission.

Michael produced a fully integrated campaign which included logo development, direct mail, signage points, ambient advertising and digital designs for web and mobile.

Michael received £500 in prize money from National Grid's Regeneration Manager, Fiona McKenzie, and will see his ideas become reality when his designs are installed at the three main gates to The Forthquarter Park - West Granton Road, Waterfront Broadway and West Shore Road.

Here's a great example of the work - Michael's logo development visuals -











More:
STV Edinburgh Telford Student Triumphs with Sign Design

Final Projects

All HND Final Project work has been graded and issued. A gallery of the completed work exhibited at the Final show last week can be viewed here.

Concept of the Year

Congratulations to Adam Macdonald, who picked up a new internal award for HND 2 - 'concept of the year'. This award recognises connection and realisation - where sketchbook evidence links directly into an innovative and original visual idea.

In Adam's work, his CABE Mentoring project - focussed on attracting more people to Edinburgh's public parks - translated into an appealing positive plus sign, and a series of effective vector icons for various activities. The integration included signage, ambient, web and direct marketing products. Adam wins a years' subscription to WIRED Magazine.

Three YCN Winners

We can't stop winning awards!

This is Final Show week for HND2, and last night we held our Industry/Press Night at the exhibition venue, the Dovecot Studios in the centre of Edinburgh.

As usual a whole host of industry practitioners, mentors and ex-students joined the current final year class in a celebration of talent and hard work over the last two years. As an added bonus, YCN had earlier announced their 2011 Award winners, and we managed to pick up no less than three awards this year -

Gill McColl - Ted Baker
Sarah Crawford - Boost
Abbie Macpherson - Whyte and Mackay

Abbie, still in her first year of HND, has achieved a remarkable treble, having now added the YCN award to her Show Racism the Red and D&AD InBook Awards, and Gill is fresh from a shortlisting for the Marketing Society Awards.

Samples from Gill's Ted Baker submission:





This year we are the only Scottish Institution to produce winners at YCN.

Details for this year's Awards ceremony, Physical A Awards and the YCN Student Awards Annual will all be posted on the YCN site shortly, where you can currently view the full list of winners here.

Tonight is Private View Night at the Dovecot, and further press coverage and blog posts will follow during the course of the event.