3.07.13 - Padlet "Paper for the web"

Padlet is a great new web resource that was introduced to me a week or so ago at a recent staff development event. Focusing on emerging technology and how to use it effectively within the studio for students, Padlet offers users a free we-based mood board where you can store a selection of resources including, images, notes and web-links. This is a great resource for someone like me who is always trying to remember specific details about a designer or artist that I read about last month or who was recommended as a to pass on their details to a student. 

It now means that all of my inspirational sources and anything "cool & creative" I come across, will go straight up onto my wall and stay there. It goes beyond that though, depending on how you wish to treat your privacy and security you can open your wall up to other users posting additional content and comments to compile a huge communal forum. I would advise anyone who wishes to store digitally their resource list, or who may have a pinterest, to jump on the Padlet wagon.

Check out my wall here.

01.07.13 - Graphic Design tool Kit

There has been for many years a stereo typical image associated with designers and graphic designers in particular, always having the latest gadgets, being on trend (or attempting to). Since becoming a lecturer in design I have slowly equipped myself with what could only be identified as my tool kit, as well as an ever growing extensive amount of books and magazines I own, there are certain possessions that I deem highly beneficial.

From Left - right top - bottom: I-pad mini, Macbook Air, AArk Watch, Pantone Notecards, I-pod Touch, Muji 0.5 Black tip, Muji Mechanical pencil, Graphic Deisgn rule book, Pantone note book.

21.06.13 - "Jack in the box"

After the recent success of the end of year show "Autotelic" some of the students' at the private view were approached by the colleges marketing team for a local press release both internal and external. Below is the article released discussing Jack and his "Fashion Vision" project. 

 

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You can’t accuse Jack Rayner of not throwing himself into his work, he’s quite literally a part of it as he sat in a see-through perspex box as part of a performance-based installation! Thinking, er, inside the box the 19 year old from Rochford found himself in the cramped confines of the clear box of his own making as part of his final major project on the Level 3 BTEC General Art & Design course at South Essex College. He’d picked two words from a hat, fashion and vision.

Jack said: “Throughout my course I’ve worked a lot with computers but wanted to take it back to basics. The idea was that I was sat in a perspex box and I would record my thoughts and feelings on the inside of the box which everyone could see and then people viewing it could respond or ask their own questions. I guess you could say it was a physical embodiment of a social media feed – there for the whole world to see and interact with.”

And people certainly responded, over the three and a half hours that he was sat in his somewhat claustrophobic surrounding Jack had messages asking him how he was through to some deeply personal things. Jack added: “That was what I really loved about it, the whole unpredictability of it all but I think sometimes people like opening up more to total strangers.”What isn’t unpredictable is Jack’s next step; he’s off to Swansea Metropolitan University to study a degree in Graphic Design.

17.06.13 - UAL Event

Well after much speculation and recent events of staff leavings and changes it has been confirmed that I will be leaving my role as Level 3 Art & Design Course leader, and have been appointed as the new pathway leader in "Print & Design" for the UAL (University of Arts London) level 4 Foundation Diploma in Art & Design. To gain clarification of the course and an insight into the expectations, myself alongside the newly founded team took at trip up to Nottingham where UAL held an external event at new Nottingham College. 

The events main aims were to discuss the year just gone, highlighting any factors of success and areas for development, alongside an introduction to any changes due to take place as of September 2013. Another main focus was assessment and in particular ensuring that across the country colleges delivering the qualification kept a level of assessment and standards that swept across the board. It was an opportunity for us as a new team to have a look at Nottinghams' students work, their exhibition and assess according to the UAL grading criteria. Overall, it was really beneficial in agreeing grades not only as a team, but to then find out we were correct according to the external about the marks giving, (a bit of confidence embedded into the team). 

The prospect of going onto the Foundation Diploma initially caused doubts in my mind, I was really pleased with my development and progression on the level 3 course and alongside my former colleague Lee, and felt we had recently found a strong brand identity and house style of work. Not only that but the opportunity to write the new course modules as we transferred over into UAL was something that I felt was a great development point. Having spent many weeks discussing the potential of next year I have started to see the benefits in other areas of development, my CV and a new challenge that is something I always strive off of. I will certainly continue being creative and continue to progress, and of course I will continue blogging, it will just be in a new role.