welovedesignetc
The design courses blog for BA (Hons)
and HND Vis Comm at Edinburgh College

#thecreativetakeover

16 December 2016


Holly (l) and Niamh pick up the big cheque for their Schools Project win.

We hosted the presentations earlier this week for our Schools Project - a project about engaging more closely with Art & Design teachers in Secondary Schools across Scotland. The project was sponsored by Threebrand - an Edinburgh-based Design Agency who are involved in our mentoring programme and are strong supporters of design education and employer engagement.

The project hopes to improve information about FE and studying in the Creative Industries in particular, and also to encourage schools to look at the way they prepare school leavers for interviews, portfolios and Higher Education courses.  This collaboration between the College and Secondary Schools aims to develop a new strategy for increasing access to FE for school leavers.

Prior to the presentations we held a short reception in the Hub, where sample HND Graded Unit and HNC design projects were exhibited, and the presentations then took place in studio R310.

We had five shortlisted projects 
Liam Philp (HND)
Laurence Barber and Hazel Pike (HNC)
Chelsea Foley and Natasha Ryan (NC)
Christina Giannakou (HND)
Niamh Curran & Holly McNie (HNC)

The students pitched to a panel of High School Art & Design teachers -

Scott Hunter (SQA Graphics Principal Verifier), Stuart Longair (Stewarts Melville), Shonagh Primrose (Tynecastle High), Philippa Drummond (Drummond High) and Robert Ward (Craigroyston High)

 - who kindly came along to the Granton Campus for the evening.  They watched each presentation and then provided feedback and selected a winning project.  The top prize included becoming a College Ambassador for Edinburgh College, and receiving a funding cheque to further develop the idea into a real campaign or product.



Helena presents College Ambassador badges to Holly and Niamh.

Massive well done to Niamh Curran and Holly McNie who won the top prize with their 'creative takeover' concept.  Niamh and Holly will now look at fully developing their concept into a new promotional educational tool to be rolled out to high schools in 2017.




DMA Awards 2016

11 December 2016




HND Graphic Design students Jennifer Grieve and Sam Haynes were in London last week, with tutor Helena Good, to attend the annual DMA Awards.

Jennifer and Sam were shortlisted in the DMA Breakthrough Award - which recognises emerging creative talent from the UK's Universities and Colleges. The pair picked up the runners' up spot and did some valuable networking, raising the profile of the course and doing Edinburgh College proud.

This is the second year in a row that we've had student work shortlisted at this national-recognised industry competition.  As well as attending the awards event, Sam and Jennifer presented their design solution at the Proximity Agency for the client (The Economist).

More about the Breakthrough award here, and a full list of DMA Award winners here.