Whose job is it anyway? : preparing graphic design students for the business of creative industry

Abstract

Many undergraduate students struggle to successfully manage the transition from academic study to creative sector employment. Talented graduates with great portfolios don’t necessarily connect to meaningful vocational outcomes. A lack of experience in the ‘business of design’ is often cited as a significant impact on employment decisions made by creative directors. Placements and internships can add valuable commercial experience that offer employers confidence that graduates will add value. Paradoxically, many studios are insufficiently resourced to offer meaningful experiential learning opportunities and frequently, students are poorly prepared to access them. Coupled with an international paradigm shift in rhetoric, both fee-paying students and institutional managers are respectively demanding and promising, higher value vocational relevancy from investment in tertiary education. Responding to these challenges, many Graphic Design programmes are not only revaluating their curriculum and currency of practice, but also seeking greater connectivity vocational support between academy and industry. This paper case-studies the development of an integrated and experiential teaching model that fosters engagement with Graphic Design industry partners, effectively coordinating and leveraging the power of academic and alumni relationships across a range of professional experiences including non-residential project based learning opportunities and collaborative learning partnerships.