Design Forums - UK Graphic Design & Web Design Forum

Spot on Berry, we had a 'professional practice module' which was supposed to help us with issues like this, but in actual fact the only beneficial element to this was being able to interview some people in the industry. I learnt all I needed to know through business forums and personal research. It would have been great if Uni had taught me about this side of a career as a freelancer, and maybe got a few talks from local freelancers with a Q&A session.

Good points there.

I have no experience with the UK training system since I got all my training in Jamaica but I can relate to them not telling you anything on how to market your own freelance career. My business course (where they show you supposedly how to market your art) was done by a man who was not an artist, had never owned a business and I suspect was a friend of the Dean.

Needless to say, I got bugger-all from that course. -Everything- I learnt on marketing and dealing with customers, I had to learn through trial and error. It took me 2 years, many missed deadlines (because half the time I was working in confusion) and living off the skin of my teeth before I 'got' it - I'm putting this method into practise and so far I'm getting good feedback from my customers.

I naturally now, get really bristly when people scoff at freelancers, so apologies if I jumped on you there - I understand your point of view a bit better now.

Ahh my appologies. I see whats you're saying. I think sometimes these can fall into the same category as "Well, my friends brother said he could do it for £200" type designers.

...or give these students a chance to study this in their own time by laying on additional studies. That way they can pick or choose.

I think the combination of some live commercial projects with the course projects would be a great help in bridging the gap between course and career. How feasible that would be for the course to actually organize is another issue, but perhaps more units where students are encouraged to find real companies to approach and to design for?

Yeh, I have a licence and can drive a car... but it doesn't make me a Racing Driver.

I think the solution to this (in the long run) is a set of freelancers one day starting their own college. It would directly target folks who want to do this for a living.

But its not easy in anyway, the curriculum would make the realities of freelancing (should I eat or pay the water bill?) come to the fore. Persons would be encouraged to have their own 'live' customers and one course would actually revolve around how best to deal with these live projects coming in.

Hmm... *contemplates it some more*

great discussion going on here, I think design courses do need to shape up but some already are getting a grip. I graduated last year off my course and got a job straight away, but Berry was correct in that I was one of a few...the rest are still job hunting.

While on the course many of the students would complain that the tutors weren't doing enough to help them, not giving them enough guidance or that the module content wasn't what they were interested in. Well, they were the bums. The people who were expecting someone else to do the work for them. To succeed on a degree you need to put 99% of the leg work in yourself. For me the tutors did help when they could, but the majority of the time they just didn't have the time and i don't blame them for that - they're busy people.

As for the course content, in the first 18 months it was rather hit and miss because the course was new...we were very much the guinea pigs! But towards the end they began to gain a bit of direction, offering modules which were focused on the business side of the industry. We did work with local companies to a mock brief (which could possibly translated into real work) and it was very successful. It was a whole process of receiving a brief, developing a proposal and delivering with a presentation - overall invaluable experience.

So some courses are going in the right direction and adapting to the needs of the industry, but more needs to be done (harsher critical feedback for one!). However the main responsibility remains with the individual student. Put the work and effort in and you get rewarded, I've seen that first hand.

True. I asked students 'What makes you different from the other 30 odd people on your same course?"

If you can have a valid answer that then your on your way.

Don't expect. Sieze.

Hi Will,

I had similar experiences with my course, it tended to be the older students on the course that could see the bigger picture. The younger students who had come into the course straight from a HND/A-Levels expected the tutors to be providing all they should need, where as the older students knew it was just a platform, and were willing to put in the extra work behind the scenes.

Your course sounds like it was successful for you, and I like the sound of the business modules and live projects you got a chance to work on. Perhaps some of the HE institutions are seeing the gap between course and career/job and are taking action to bridge that? I guess it's a very long process to start introducing new courses and curriculum, with all the paperwork and requirements to fulfill.

Greg

No offence retrowilly, but students sometimes complain and with good reason. If I wanted to do 99% of the footwork myself I'd have saved the money I would have spent on college and tried to make it on my own. I'd have eaten better at least. Yes, you are expected to pull your weight when it comes to assignments but the teachers are supposed to guide you.

And honestly, busy people? It's their -job-. They wouldn't be there if it wasn't for the students. So many teachers get this arrogant approach as if they're doing someone a favour. If more students realised this and -demanded- the information they should be getting, we'd have a lot less confused graduates at the end of their degree.