Plymouth University celebrates success in RSA Student Design Awards
A campaign to extol the benefits of beekeeping and a series of thought-provoking city guides have earned three students awards in a national competition.
The Plymouth University students triumphed in two categories of the RSA Student Design Awards 2013, which aim to reward those who demonstrate how the insight and processes of design can solve 21st century problems.
The awards are the latest fillip for the University, after it was named among the top 20 institutions in the country for Art and Design courses, and the best in the South West, in the recent Guardian University Guide.
Professor Dafydd Moore, Dean of the University’s Faculty of Arts, said: “The art and design programmes at Plymouth University have an excellent national reputation, borne out by our eight-place rise in the Guardian University Guide subject rankings. We pride ourselves on nurturing students who are capable of designing and developing innovative solutions which transform lives. These accolades further demonstrate the creativity our students possess, and the impact their work can have for a wide range of audiences.”
Plymouth University has an excellent record in the RSA Student Design Awards, and the Plymouth winners in this year’s competition were:
MA Design students Nicole Shadbolt and Meredith Thompson beat more than 75 submissions to with the Change Makers category, winning an internship in Waitrose's Graphic Design department, valued at £1,850 each. Their project, The Hive, is a co-design framework aimed to improve food safety in local communities; it uses the circular economy to create inviting, bee-friendly, communities that educate neighbourhoods.
BA Graphic Communication with Typography student Rob Watts beat almost 50 competitors to win the Speaking for the Spiritual category for his Headspace Walking Guides, winning a Touchstone Trust Award of £750. The guides help people find serenity close to their home and highlight city walking as being especially beneficial for spiritual health.
The eight briefs this year covered social challenges ranging from tackling water pollution and waste reduction to improving working environments and commuting.
RSA’S Co-director of Design Nat Hunter said: “We were extremely impressed by the quality of entries this year. The winning students demonstrated exceptional insight and ingenuity in their responses to the complex social challenges in the briefs. Many of this year’s winners have told us that entering the RSA Student Design Awards has transformed their aspirations, and they are now looking to develop a career that uses their new skills to benefit society.”
The annual Arts Degree Showcase is being held at Plymouth University, from Saturday 15 June to Saturday 26 June, and features pieces from students on courses including 3D Design, Architecture, Digital Art, Fine Art, Illustration, Photography and Graphic Communication with Typography. For more information, visit www.plymouth.ac.uk/artsdegreeshow.
