University of Wolverhampton students received some graphic advice from a top creative agency recently.
The Graphic Design and Visual Communication degree students were offered the opportunity to pitch ideas for an advertising campaign by Top Banana, a leading creative communications agency with offices in London and Stourbridge.
As part of its Design Academy, Top Banana sets live projects for students and judges the work, with the best designer winning the chance to work on live projects and gain invaluable industry insights on a three day work placement with the agency.
The Design Academy’s goal is to nurture new, creative talent and help young people progress into the industry with experience and guidance from their creative department.
The brief was entitled ‘Vive Libre’ based on a live project that the agency had previously worked on and students were tasked with creating a brand campaign to promote a SEAT annual party at ArcelorMittal Orbit in London.
Dave Pinches, Creative Art Director at Top Banana and a Wolverhampton School of Art graduate, said: “Competitions set by the Design Academy programme offers young people a chance to hear professional feedback on their work, helping them understand how to use their portfolios to showcase their skills when talking to prospective employers.
“By giving students the opportunity to work on live, time sensitive projects, they get a true insight into creative design processes and a view into working life post-university. There are certain things that a degree can teach you about yourself but industry insight is invaluable in relation to how you develop your stage craft and how you develop yourself as a professional if you want to work in the creative industries.”
Hannah Burrows, Visual Communication student who won the top prize of a three day work placement at Top Banana, said: “I’m shocked to have won considering there was such a strong body of work from everybody. I’m a mature student with two children at home and I had never really thought about what kind of career I could have - now I’m aspiring to be a Graphic Designer. Having been out of work for so long, this experience will be really beneficial for me. My campaign was inspired by Barcelona, the street art, the heritage, the colours and I’m really pleased to have been picked as the winner.”
Zara Ahmed, second year Graphic Design student, said: “It’s really important to get a feel for the real world and work for real clients. I’d like to work for a design agency so it was useful to get some real insights into what working on a live brief is like. We get to experience a lot of different things on this course and there’s a big range of programmes. After the live briefs they give you a sense of what real work will be like and this gives you confidence.”
The University has worked with Top Banana for the past four years.
