"Whilst I found the last year very challenging in many respects, focusing on my uni project work has been extremely rewarding and inspiring."
Shane Mullin
Self Directed Project: Loneliness Is...
The Loneliness Connects Us project explored youth loneliness through arts-based and creative methods with 42nd Street, a Manchester-based charity that supports young people under stress. We were invited by 42nd Street to offer a creative response to the report.
My animation is a call to action for all youngsters who are suffering in silence, to seek help through organisations such as 42nd Street. I wrote, recorded and animated my own poem. As somebody who has suffered from this exact problem, this project meant a lot to me and was very poignant. Especially since we have all recently been in lockdown, everybody has experienced loneliness in one way or another. I went for a very simple animation style that has the figures being drawn out before your eyes to compliment the verses of the poem.
"This year has been a challenging one, but looking back in hindsight, those challenges combined with having the opportunity to work on a variety of creative briefs (one of which was a live brief) have better prepared me for the future and gave me some much-needed creative industry insight." Patrick Battison-Nicol
Self Directed Project: Champions of Humanity
I created a series of posters that celebrate the many aspects and examples of 'human spirit'
that appeared throughout the lockdown. The main purpose was to showcase and celebrate those individuals that generated an incredibly positive and heartening influence during a
difficult time in our history. Through my research, I chose to focus strictly on UK based personalities, such as Captain Sir Tom Moore, footballer Marcus Rashford and fitness coach Joe Wick who I felt were the perfect candidates for this.
Their selfless contributions during the covid pandemic demonstrated that regardless of whatever we face, as humans (with the inclusion of hope) we are capable of persevering and uplifting one another to get through any situation.
"I have thouroughly enjoyed my final project as it offered me the time and space to explore new styles of creative play. I feel I have challenged myself with new forms of illustration which I have always wanted to delve into it." Katie Kelly
Self Directed Project: YOU! Clothing Brand
YOU! is a unisex clothing brand targeted at
18-25 year-olds. The brand is focused on promoting gender equality through various messages emblazoned across the aparel.
The encouragement is for people to be able to express who they are through what they wear.
The project deliverables included ident design, typographic treatment, exploring new illustration styles, colour ways research, screen printing testing and applying final ideas across physical apparel.
"Studying at UCEN has given me the opportunity to work on live briefs with companies such as Kin+Carta, LTE group and 42nd street charity. I have also undertaken a placement opportunity within the LTE group marketing department.
The continued support of my tutors through lockdown has enabled me
to focus on my studies and grow as a creative practitioner." Soraya Eghbali
The Loneliness Connects Us project explored youth loneliness through arts-based and creative methods with 42nd Street, a Manchester-based charity that supports young people under stress. We were invited by 42nd Street to offer a creative response to the report. I created an animated video to persuade people who suffer from loneliness to get in touch with someone who can help them.
I received great feedback from the client and they have confirmed my work will be used to promote their services across all their social media platforms.
Kin+Carta Live Brief
Creative response to a CO-OP brief to help promote an episode of their "In It Together" podcast.
"The variety of tasks; from Adobe program skills to creative exercises has given me a deeper understanding of Graphic Design principles." Marta Kornaga
Advertising Unit:
The projects shown are from various briefs including industry collaboration and internal modules. We had opportunities to explore print techniques, Adobe program skills, screen printing, book binding, marketing campaigns and branding.
"My Self Directed Project allowed me to develop new software and design skills and also work on a live brief within an area I have a real passion for." Matt Robinson
Self Directed Project:
PopeArt create custom consoles for companies such as Microsoft and 2K. For my final project, I was tasked with learning 3D software, Blender, from the ground up in order to create three custom game art and console designs. In addition, I designed extras such as promotional videos and packaging design concepts.
Apex Legends Valkyrie PlayStation 5 console design:
Achievements: 1st Class BA Honours, placement at Kin + Carta Connect & Freelance with Bearded Fellows Progression to: Employment @ MAC Clinical Research
In joining our course Andrew had his sights set pretty high. He jumped onto
our top BA (hons) with an impressive portfolio (and qualifications to match),
but as a self-supporting mature student, recently settled in Manchester from Belfast,
he desperately needed a job to quickly follow his graduation.
Andrew’s fist unit was Professional Practice, an industry-supported unit,
centred around motion graphics. The unit is designed to be challenging and
demanding conceived through consultation with international digital design
experts Kin + Carta, the project being run my alumni Lisa Dale. Students benefit
from visiting their premises for a briefing, campus visits from Kin + Carta for
lectures and skills sessions. The unit concludes in final pitches at their
board room in competition for placement opportunities.
During these sessions’ students get a chance to make an impression on
Lisa’s team, which Andrew did – thoroughly answering the brief and taking it
further than Kin + Carta had expected… he went on to pick up a month’s
placement with them before the national Lockdown in April 2020. During Lockdown
Andrew secured himself several interviews, collaborated with Bearded Fellow’s
on two freelance projects (with one of his graduating peers) and was afforded
the unusual position of weighing up two job offers, before achieve his goal of
working and living in Manchester as a graphic designer with MAC Clinical Research.
“Honestly I’m gutted I haven’t been on the course since YR 1. The working environment’s been so much more personal, I’ve felt so much more encouragement here to do my best than I ever did on my previous course. You can really tell the difference going from being a number on a screen to a person.”
Achievements: 1st Class BA Honours, placement at Kin + Carta Connect & LTE Group placement Progression to: Employment @ thegeniusgroup.com
Alekandra studied Photography at The Manchester College before coming to UCEN Manchester to study Graphic Design & Advertising with us, in which she graduated with a 1st Class BA Honours. As a Polish student she wanted to study and work in the UK and had one of the most focused work ethics the course has seen in a student.
“I really appreciate the effort and dedication from the tutors on this course. I thoroughly enjoyed all hours spent in sessions and tutors always motivating me to push harder in my projects. Studying on this course has made me confident and ready to work in the industry. This course gets my recommendation!”
Aleksandra Wantuch
Managing the transition from photography to Graphic Design & Advertising Alekandra achieved everything she set out too, gaining high 60’s throughout the first year and going on the maintain 70+ in all units but one throughout the next two years. Holding down a graphics job with The Claims Guys for most of her study, Alek moved on to win placements at Kin + Carta Connect and the LTE Group due to her interview skills and strong portfolio; demonstrating confidence in strategy and her mastery of application skills across print and screen design.
Achievements: Placements at SuperUnion, Brand Union & LTE Group Progression to: Job @ LTG Group
Alumni Michael Hawkins applied to UCEN Manchester to study a Creative Media and Visual Communication BA (Hons) Top-up and pursue a design career. After gaining the latest industry skills in demand for the design world, Michael didn’t have to wait long to see his ambitions realised. Michael secured work placement with education and training provider LTE Group, which led to a full time lead designer position with MTC Works. He now works on key design briefs for the leading probation and custody provider.
“When I came to UCEN Manchester, the tutors were really interested in my work and why I wanted to come here, and spoke to me as an equal. That made me feel really comfortable and I knew it was going to be a really interactive, engaging course. “My tutors have been 100 per cent supportive and welcoming. I knew the smaller class sizes would benefit me more than learning in large lecture theatres. It gives you a better understanding of your studies and almost feels like one-to-one tuition.
Michael Hawkins
“The course structure itself has a real focus on networking and establishing your career once you leave. Your work improves to industry standard, and there is a real focus on establishing industry contacts and getting yourself and your work out there. In addition, there are lots of professional designers who come to speak to us, which is great. “The course really pushes you to do your best, which in turn means you’re more equipped to go into a full time job. In my third year, I felt ready to produce industry standard work and that really propelled me to get job alongside my studies.”
Today the Foundation Degree Courses – Graphic Design &
Advertising, Contemporary Photographic Practices and Contemporary Art Practice took
a day trip to Liverpool as part of the Induction activities, to visit major
exhibition centres in Liverpool including FACT, The Open Eye, The Bluecoat
Gallery and TATE Liverpool to see a range of inspirational and socially
important exhibitions.
“It was a great experience and my first time to an exhibition in this country … I loved the use Keith Haring’s colours, lines and negative shapes.” – Soraya Eghbali
The Open Eye had an exhibition addressing the topic of ‘the portrait’ with responses from 16 years olds’. Students were privy to a talk from a member of the curatorial team who discussed the current exhibition & gave a tour of the Gallery. FACT’s exhibition ‘In Real Life’ focused on the ‘gig sector’ with stories from a Graphic Designer in India to a beautician Vlogger in the UK. Bluecoat had an exhibition from Shezad Dawood and a wonderful exhibition of promotional posters from their previous exhibitions spanning decades. This was especially interesting to the first year Graphics students, who will be designing exhibition posters as part of their first unit. And the TATE held one of the most powerful and diverse exhibitions ever of Keith Haring’s work starting with his early work on the streets of New York through to his socially profound work on the AIDS epidemic.
“Visiting the Keith Haring exhibition was like visiting a time capsule – it resonates today because of the LGBT community – I liked that he wasn’t limited at all by any materials, he was like a stream of consciousness, he reminded me of Barney Ibbotson’s work. It makes me want to buy some ink and tarpaulin – it’s made me think about how I can work in my sketchbook.” – Clare Marshall
“I liked seeing pieces of work carried out in different ways to the way I would approach something – such as the work by Shezad Dawood with her bright and unique pieces using neon lights; creating various objects and animals.” – Peter Bergin
In addition to their engagement with these cultural
institutions it was an opportunity for all courses to meet each other
informally. Freshers got to meet their peers across divers course programmes.
