Desk Culture - Concept

Alternative design concept

“It is rare in academia that students work across

the year groups of a pro-gramme, even though the potency of peer feedback is undoubted,”

Zoe Patterson, Programme Director

Recent years have shown us the job market is no longer quick to set-

tle for simply a well qualified graduate, but rather an experienced one too. The somewhat paradoxical situation of ‘experience required to gain experience’ seems to catch more and more recent graduates out when looking to take their first step into their careers.

One scheme at least looks to tackle this tricky hurdle by introducing professional experience to students whilst they study. Edinburgh Uni-versity’s College of Art has for a number of years been running a project within graphic design that ensures students can learn commercial

skills from one another as well as genuine clients.

Programme director Zoe Patterson explains that first, second and third year students of graphic design apply and work for a range of agencies directed by final-year students who start and maintain the business whilst mentor-ing their ‘employees’ through projects.

Students are able to first hand experience the shift in responsibility as they rise through the ranks from interns, to juniors, middleweight de-signers and eventually directors where it they should have learnt already a great deal before starting up their own agency.

Not many academic departments allow, let alone foster a relationship between students across all stages of their degree. “There is a wealth of knowledge that is shared amongst students of all stages that otherwise wouldn’t work together.” We spoke to one second year student of Our Agency who explains that gaps

in technical knowledge can be answered by the more experienced designers, as well as what goes into developing a great idea or aesthetic. However although students are encouraged to learn amongst themselves, external insight from professional designers are brought in to mentor agencies when it comes to dealing with real-life clients.

Directors of agencies across Edinburgh are keen to get involved with students at the college by helping them through the trials of designing for a genuine paying client. Although profit isn’t accredited, students are required to ensure the financial side of their

respective agencies are organized and dealt with respon-sibly.

One student tells us “We are now in a po-

sition where we get to make the big decisions, but with this freedom comes a lot of hard work and responsibility which mirrors the reality of graphic design,” When It comes to students’ fourth year and their time comes to branding and launching their own agency, it is encouraged that they think carefully about the ethos behind their brand. Our Agency directors told us they set out to create one which aims “to foster a positive creative environment, which is conducive to the exchange of great ideas and producing brilliant graphic design.”

Each year students are given the choice of which agen-cy to apply for (where sometimes they are

“There is a wealth of knowledge that is shared amongst students of all stages that otherwise wouldn’t work together.”

interviewed) and this gives an opportunity to target an ethos that suits them and give them an change to taste of how an agency should or shouldn’t be run. Our directors shared that like any business, things don’t always go smoothly. “We have ex-perience of when people don’t always get on, but the project means you can learn how to deal with those kind of issues before you have the added stress of having to make a living at the same time”. Although students are more of less left to their own devices, the staff do make sure they have some input to keep students on their toes. This year was the first year third-year students were asked to start their own agencies in competi-tion with those in their final year. After branding and launching, staff delivered the new that the all to familiar situation had arose that the credit crunch had hit, and agencies were to merge and re-structure.

It’s clear that the project sets out to do all it can to prepare students for a world they can know little about without experiencing it. This hasn’t gone unrecognized either as the course was awarded the Guardian’s Higher Education Award for em-ployability initiative (2013).

One agency mentor explains “This project is a chance to help the students understand what a design consultancy is looking for.”

educationby Ben Shmulevitch