Mentoring: an experience
Way back in March I made a decision to give back to an industry I have been part of for over 25 years. The ‘Call to Creative Arms’ initiative, launched by Christopher Algar from Design Bridge and Intern Magazine, was set up to bring together an array of creative professionals to mentor students across the UK who were facing university closures and left with no final year exhibitions to showcase their work, the usual way that students get exposure to industry professionals (and the all-important job opportunities).
So I jumped at the chance to share the knowledge and experience I have gained through almost three decades in this amazing, yet sometimes turbulent industry. One of the students I was assigned to support was the lovely Jessica Fairhurst, an undergraduate at the University of Leeds. Like all her fellow students, Jess was knee-deep into her final year project (now known as FMPs – who knew?) when lockdown was announced; she was suddenly faced with moving back home, with no feedback and advice from tutors and lecturers, no physical resources and, most importantly, no sense of community that university life brings.
During the time that followed, Jess and I ‘Zoomed’ on a weekly basis and she shared not only her projects and ideas, but her hopes and concerns for the future that lay ahead. It was an unexpected joy for me to take a glimpse into student life again and took me right back to my days as a ‘wet behind the ears’ student at Ravensbourne University (known then as a College of Design and Communication) in the late eighties, with a head full of creative dreams and a portfolio full of Rotring pen rendered typography (computers were only just being phased in).
Through discussions with Jess about her FMP, (branding a beer for those with special dietary requirements), I was able to advise her on specific quandaries like logo legibility, type hierarchy and the use of space in design. It’s refreshing to know that with all the technological advances in the industry over the years, these fundamental principles of good design still hold fast. And because prospects look a little daunting right now, we discussed associated career paths and the importance of a social media presence.
Thank you Jess for sharing a milestone event in your life with me, and good luck to all the design graduates about to embark on their first steps in the commercial world.
To see more of Jessica’s work, click here.