2014.

A new semester will bring new challenges, goals, visions, discoveries and experiences for our students. Already they are focusing on projects that will take them to places they have never visited before. New opportunities and possibilities lie ahead within the next 12 weeks.

To help them along, they will be entering the D&AD and Roses competitions, in addition to the Shelf  Awards,ISTD projects and Picturing Time competitions. They will be visited by industry professionals, including Steve Royle (The Chase), Jia Ying Gnoh  (Coley Porter Bell), Melanie Milne (Letterpress Specialist), Debbie Wigglesworth (Paper Specialist) who will challenge, inspire and advise students on their first , second and third year projects.

We have Four Designers, The Roses competition ceremony,  Cheltenham Design Festival and D&AD to look forward to!  And of course the Degree Show in June.........but so much will happen before then...........including a trip to LA and San Francisco for Graphic Design, Animation and Entrepreneurship students.

UCAS 2013-Manchester & London

It was a pleasure to meet students from all over the country at the UCAS events in London and Manchester. We were overwhelmed with excited, enthusiastic and talented students who will hopefully visit us at our open days and welcome you for interviews - we are looking forward to meeting you again.

Our staff always get into the Christmas spirit after a long day at the fairs......and after all...it was Christmas (well, nearly)

Staffordshire in a FLUX

Second year Graphic Design students were faced with the challenge of re-branding and designing new communications materials to re-position the University’s innovative ‘Flux’ company, which designs and manufactures English fine bone China.

Established in 2010 to promote the University, its students and generate income, Flux has rapidly established itself as a serious player within the premium tableware market, with a growing market in Paris, the Middle East and Beverley Hills to name but a few outlets.

Grant Mitchell (Transmission Creative) was instrumental in guiding the students, passing on his experience to help them visually reflect the brand’s growing burgeoning global reputation and confidence, culminating in a presentation to the Flux team including Professor David Sanderson and Directors of the brand team from Belgium.

Students visited the excellent British Ceramics Biennial exhibition at the original Spode factory site in Stoke to get inspired. Week-by-week, pushing the students to think about how best to answer the brief and connect with multiple audiences in order to create a stimulating, relevant and engaging vision to promote Flux.

An extremely demanding role for the students,  great strides were made in their development as designers and the brand team from Belgium were very impressed with everything they saw.

The Flux project also drew upon expertise from Product Design and Advertising & Brand Management students who presented to the Flux team and fellow students.

Grant commented: "I think the students have certainly given them food for thought and I’ve really enjoyed working with such a talented, hard-working group of design students".

A Challenging first semester

First and second year Graphic Design and Illustration students were definitely challenged in their new semesters as students at Staffs. The first year was all about experimenting, discovering, exploring and learning what, why, how and why again!!!!....some great work was produced and we are looking forward to seeing the same in semester II.

Conrad does Christmas

Conrad (second year Illustration) does Christmas !! - with Cartoon and Comic Arts students at their Christmas party, together with comic book artist John Charles and special festive pizza.

A semester to remember

Well, it's been a few long, cold months since a posting but there's been so much happening and so much great news at Staffs!

The first semester flew by - students hurried home to write letters to Santa but not before they had submitted some great work! Third years pondered on their 'design futures' while second years were in a 'Flux' with a group branding brief. First year students were up to their eyeballs in 3D workshops, typography, life drawing and new ways of thinking creatively whilst exploring the wonderful world of Graphic Design and Illustration at Staffordshire.

In just the space of 12 weeks our students tackled self promotion, contextual and theoretical studies, branding, packaging, marketing, wood-plastics-digital software-metal-laser cutter-letterpress-screenprinting-lifedrawing-workshops, themed and competition briefs, advertising and motion graphics...........they definitely packed a lot in.

In November, Level 6 students ventured 'up north' to Manchester - visiting GLORIOUS CREATIVE, THE CHASE, TRANSMISSION CREATIVE, HAVAS LYNX AND MUSIC, all of whom welcomed us and spent valuable time talking through their work, philosophy, offering advice and even pizza and beer!!!! It was time well spent and the students will never forget what a great experience it was.

Mike Emerson (2013 Graphic Design graduate, now employed at The Chase) shares his knowledge and experience with the students in his own, unique style.

After the studio visits, students nipped over to Craig Oldham's new book launch - 'The Hand Written Project' and shared a few drinks with likeminded creatives and took the opportunity to network with Manchester's great and good.

Staffordshire Graphic Design graduates Sian Ford (2013), Mike Emerson (2013-now at The Chase) and Gary Devreede (2011-now at Reform Creative)