PLEASE HELP, research report

[sigsam]

Hallo,
I’ am a third year graphic design student in Norwich, that is currently trying to write a research report on the existing gap between the design industry and academia.
I require a few minutes of your valuable time to answer the following questions and share your knowledge and experience.

Many thanks,
Sam.

1- Does the school equip students with the skills needed to make the
transition to design in the real world?

2- How was your experience of going into the "real world”?

3- What is the role for the designers of today and tomorrow?

4-What can students do to be better prepared?

5- If you had a chance on influencing what is taught, what will you
include on the curriculum?

6- How can graduate students bridge the gap between what they
have learned at school with what is expected in the industry?

7- Why are the standards so way apart between the two practices?

Many thanks

[Paul Murray]

I can answer a few of these based on a recent event I went to. Basically graduates from my course came back to talk to current students about what it's like to leave the course and find a job.

This is based on their experiences and advice they gave me.

1- Does the school equip students with the skills needed to make the
transition to design in the real world?

Yes and no. Many graduates said they felt like they should teach you more about actually being a designer i.e. understanding business, or advice on going freelance, rather than just helping you build a portfolio.

4-What can students do to be better prepared?

Read up on web design and other creative fields to help them build transferable skills. One girl mentioned that she didn't have an online portfolio when she left uni because she didn't know the first thing about web design.

Blogging and social media are big now, so taking time to learn about how this can help is important.

6- How can graduate students bridge the gap between what they
have learned at school with what is expected in the industry?

Get as much experience as they can whilst still studying. Ask for placements and internships, even if it's one day a week rather than a block (one girl actually recommended this because you probably won't see a project from start to finish either way).

If they say they don't have the room, offer to use your laptop.

[CoachMhairi]

1- Does the school equip students with the skills needed to make the transition to design in the real world?
Some do. Also I think some courses do, the more vocational ones. Mine didn't, which had its good points and its bad points

2- How was your experience of going into the "real world”?
I'd already worked in design before studying graphic design, so I probably shouldn't answer this one

3- What is the role for the designers of today and tomorrow?
The no.1 problem facing the human race is climate change, with no. 2 being dwindling oil resources. Therefore we need to find ways for us and our work to be truly sustainable.

4-What can students do to be better prepared?
Get a summer placement/internship, or do freelance work, or get part-time work.

5- If you had a chance on influencing what is taught, what will you include on the curriculum?
I would ensure that all courses have strong links with working graphic designers of all types and in different areas of work, and that students learn about professional practise in the real world. That said, I would also keep courses about exploring our own ideas... otherwise they're not design courses, they're more like Mac Operator courses. (I was a Mac Op for years, I'm not dissing them!)

6- How can graduate students bridge the gap between what they have learned at school with what is expected in the industry?
I know new graduates need a job, but it's also important not to forget yourself and your ideas and values. Do your best to really research potential employers, and find one that's right for you and your values. If you are into causes, look for jobs at charities and campaigning organisations, forget about mainstream places

7- Why are the standards so way apart between the two practices?
Because they're for different things. IMHO (or maybe cynical opinion), mainstream design work can be all about selling. Whereas design study is about discovering yourself, your voice, all the options there are in the world.