I am curious to know if your placement this year has been "the best thing after sliced bread" or indeed you've learnt to appreciate what University has given you so far. Have you grown to appreciate your academic learning, or do you still think that the only development you have had is due to your working experience?
Do you agree that the design process you've learnt at University should help differentiate yourself from the "18 year old computer wizz" by providing meaning and concept to design which otherwise would be merely a decoration. Still and all, students from our University have always been highly regarded from industry professionals for their communication and critical skills.
I hope however that the past 12 months have allowed you to grow and develop both professionally and intellectually by giving you a more comprehensive understanding of design and its process.
I would be keen to hear your knowledgeable opinions on this topic since you have experienced both these aspects.
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13 comments:
I fulfilled my placement at a post-production house. For me it has been the best thing since sliced bread. I've acquired a mind set which will be vital in telling me my direction after university. I have made invaluable contacts and developed essential networks. It would've been impossible, or very difficult, for me to meet people in that industry without spending this time in London with this company. This interpersonal contact was the most important part of my placement.
Though the academic content and learning skills acquired at University are the indispensable tools, my 9 months in the industry has been revelatory. The concept of design as a process has been a fundamental insight in helping me adapt and participate in the activities of the design teams with which I was involved. I feel that placement students definitely get off to a flying start: one up on Mac Monkeys without this background. ‘Who you know’ cannot be the whole story, however it does run ‘what you know’ a close second.
Over the last year I have been on placements at a wide range of companies, including at a big advertising agency in London, at a tiny branding agency, at a magazine, at an independent film studio and at a medium sized design and marketing agency. I wanted to get the most experience in all the fileds I was interested in so that I knew what I wanted to do when I graduate. It's been amazing, like Jocelin said I've made some invaluable contacts for when I graduate, and met some great people.
I still don't know exactly what I want to do after university, but I feel like I've learnt so much more about design and the industry than I would have without this year.
However, I think my university education has helped me massively when it comes to showing my supervisors what I'm capable of.. for example when I've been given chances to come up with creative ideas, or lead a project, I do feel that I've subconsciously turned to my degree to show me the way, and structure my thought process. So I think maybe it's the way of thinking we learn at university that makes us capable of working our way up within a company, and (hopefully) proving ourselves worthy of becoming Head Creatives.
Kirsty Mann
After this year out, I wouldn't say that I am at the top of the designer game, but I have a totally changed mindset of the industry; a realistic overview of what I am letting myself in for. I learnt more in my first two weeks out on placement than 2 years at uni..(sorry!) but thats not to say I don't have alot more to learn.
For me, this year has been more about practicing the skills you need to be a designer, becoming 'at one' with the adobe suite, speeding up producing artwork, following design styles, adhering to corporate guidelines, all with the bonus of being creative in its application.
The coming year back at university, will be alot about refining my style and taking as much advice and criticism on board as possible. I aim to leave university with as much creative knowledge as possible, comparable to the design practice I have been exposed to this year.
So, I'm not a designer just yet, but watch this space this time next year...
Hannah, I just wanted to see from the comments the benefits (if any) of taking a year out, specifically in relation to expectations, managing time, professional development etc etc. Likewise, I was interested in thoughts about advantages you may have over people which prefer to finish their education without placement.
Personally, I am very pleased you have learnt a lot and indeed you don't have to apologize if you have gained additional skills from your employment. After-all this is the reason why we (the university) offer the opportunity for industrial placement as part of the degree.
Don't get me wrong, I'm glad you've commented and I do appreciate your view on the matter. Keep up the good work.
Ok, a long day at work clearly has an effect on me!
In response to the actual question then is, its the 'best thing since sliced bread'...
I cannot say enough how glad I am that I took the plunge and went for the placement year. I found it quite hard initially as the company I had secured a year placement with fell through and I found myself all macbooked up with nowhere to go.
Eventually I managed to secure my 9months placement through 6 different companies and have thoroughly enjoyed the different environments and contrasts that come with moving around.
I have been able to get a feel for lots of areas of the industry and I believe this will improve my ability to be an all round designer, as well as my ability to focus on those areas where I most excel and most enjoy.
I feel my year in industry has really forced me to grow up and mature very quickly. I have also become more focussed and determined to make it out there, after seeing first hard how competitive it is. And how exciting.
The year has also contributed to my certainty that I am doing the right course and directing my life the right way for the job that I want to do when I leave. I think this is probably the most important thing I have brought from this year out because it is allowing me to be more driven and ready for my final year.
Over the past year, I have worked at a Graphic Design Agency in Manchester. My placement is nearly over but I can safely say that the past 12 months have been a most enjoyable and invaluable experience, and certainly "the best thing since sliced bread."
As my placement was at a small company, I feel I have acquired many different skills in a wide range of areas, from the creative print side to the more technical web side. I have made some useful contacts and worked with some great people, all of whom now feel like my family!
I acknowledge that the past two years at University have prepared me with essential skills, and I frequently found myself referring to the design process that we were taught. This approach proved fundamental to the way in which I dealt with tasks and problems in the workplace.
However, my year out has been paramount to both my personal and professional development. I now know for certain, that this is the area in which I want to work after University, and my placement has prepared me for what to expect in the industry. This experience definitely gives placement students the upper hand after they graduate, as it is something which cannot be taught at degree level.
Although, I feel that it is a combination of the academic tools I have acquired at University, and the practical skills I have gained through my work experience, that will enable me to develop further both in my final year and beyond.
My year in industry taught me so much in terms of software skills, design, layout and creative thinking. Everything that this course needs from us really, so I am looking forward to applying my new found knowledge to my final year. There are also extra things that no university or education can teach you, and that's what happens in the real world. Whether it might be awkward clients, ridiculous deadlines or how to handle meetings and presentations, the only way to really learn is to throw yourself into it, and hopefully, practice makes perfect.
I spent my year at an advertising agency, Ogilvy, and it has given me a better idea of what I want to do after uni. Most people I worked with thought I would be put off by the long hours and fast turnaround but it only made it more exciting.
One of the main benefits I gained from this is the contacts I have now gained, the downfall being they are all in Australia! It seems to be about networking and who you know in this industry, and that's exactly how I got my placement in Melbourne.
The question is hard to answer, Do I think I have become a designer? For now - no. I think I am one step closer to becoming a designer having taken part in the year in industry scheme, but I can't answer with 'yes' just yet. All in all, I would recommend anyone to take part in the year in industry as you learn things that cannot be taught. I think I still have a lot to learn, and I don't think any designer is perfect, which makes me look forward to what is yet to come in the design world.
I think it's all about the next challenge to make you a better designer!
I have enjoyed my placement year immensely and am not sure how I feel about coming back to do my third year as I rather like working the design industry. My knowledge of design has improved so much due to the everyday challenges and experiences of studio life.
During this last year I have worked at seven different design agencies and have met a lot of interesting people. More importantly I have got to know many people who I am sure will play some role in my job hunting when the course ends next year.
I am much more focused on what areas of design I want to work in and hopefully this will make my final years work more cohesive and demonstrate my abilities in these areas to their highest standard.
Also, I feel a lot less worried about leaving university after doing this placement year.
No, I don't think of myself as a designer yet.
Taking the a year in industry has been well worth the effort though, I have learnt so much in terms of the process, idea development and software skills.
I have to admit that the time spent at University previous to working in industry has helped on the design process and idea generation side of how design agencies work. However in terms of software skills and knowledge of production our course has not given me much of a head start.
And as for this mythical "18 year old computer wizz".... well what is that? Granted, pretty much 90% of students out of A-level can jump on a mac and polish a turd, to student standards. However a good idea is nothing without good execution. So minimal tuition on industry software after two years of being at University does not go down well for a student on placement at a busy design agency.
I have found the back end of the design process i.e. production etc is a whole different ball game in industry. Yes the ideas are initially the most important thing, but I have found studios get annoyed when our knowledge of the software is somewhat lacking. They expect a reasonably sound knowledge in both ideas and execution.
I think the year in industry should be made a mandatory element of the course, or alternatively structure the course so that great ideas can be executed to a higher standard. The combination of the speed and reality of industry and depth of ideas emphasised on our course could make the perfect mix.
To summarise, do I consider myself to now be a designer—No, however I am 12 months closer to my goal, down to both education and industry. Our course sets a good foundation for the first half of the design process and for that I am sure that everybody is appreciative. However not enough emphasis is put on the execution of an idea, the attention to detail in order to give an idea value.
I am looking forward to returning in September, however I am a little anxious about reintegrating back into the student life of slower paced briefs and lengthy dissertations.
Doing my year in industry was the best decision I made at University. I really think all students should do a year in industry; this is the only chance that you will get to work in industry with the support of the University (and the student loans company) to get the experience needed for graduation.
I know people that have graduated and are finding it very difficult to find work in the current climate with employers coming back with the same feedback: “We aren’t prepared to take a graduate with no experience” The market is tough and with the choice of hundreds of graphic design graduates you have to set yourself apart from the crowd. I attended a couple of degree shows at various universities at the end of last year and I really think you can tell the difference between students that have completed a placement and those that have not.
I am still working with my employers from my year in industry during my third year and this is an excellent way of intergrating the two learning processes. I work with 3 graduates from our course too, so they are always keen to find out what I’m doing in my third year. The most important things I learnt from my year out were how to:
1: Use Indesign properly and set up your documents in the correct formats
2: Send designs to press and deal with all the problems that occur (and they will!)
3: Find out all the important websites! Whatthefont / da font / sxc
4: Deal with criticism, and difficult clients
5: Network!
We were taught most of these in second year but when you are in industry and you have an hour to do design something and send it to press, is when you think: “Crap, what did I learn it that seminar? What’s a spot colour again?” It’s not until you have to do these things on your own an your job depends on it that you fully learn how to use the skills you learnt at University.
I spent my placement year working as Creative Designer in the Online Marketing team at Canon Europe in London. I was extremely lucky to have been offered a placement with such a popular brand, as well as one that is creative-based.
The only downside for me was the scale of the work I was set. A lot of the design work was outsourced so many of the tasks I did were small things like editing banners to different languages, or selecting images for a newsletter. Canon is very brand image based so I didn't really get much opportunity to be very creative in my own right, and it wasn't long before I was thinking in the 'Canon frame of mind'.
That said my placement was one of the most invaluable experiences I have done. Not only did I gain many new contacts and add experience to my CV, but my design skills increased greatly.
Although my degree has taught me a lot about the world of design you honestly have no idea what it's like until you go out there yourself. I'm so much more aware of design in my every day life now. I actively seek things out. Not because I have to, but because I want to. Doing a placement year increased my knowledge as a designer, and although I consider myself to be a graphic designer, I know that there is always room for improvement, and just because I've spent a year in industry it doesn't mean that I won't be able to continue to learn about design.
I hadn't fully realised until this week just how much I have benefited from participating in the Year in Industry. I feel more confident and my skills really have improved. I also have a much better understanding of the industry, and the different sectors, and feel less intimidated about entering the job market.
I don't feel I could have learnt what I did at university, however it's the same vice versa. For example, I found that in the office you have little time to develop ideas and often the first one is chosen, whereas at university you're encouraged to explore ideas, and more often than not this is highly beneficial for the resulting outcome. I also feel a concept is more deeply examined and challenged here than in the office.
Please don't get me wrong though, I'd encourage anyone to do both!
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