Hallmark of success for Textile Design student
Published On Thu 3 May 2018 by Roddy Isles
While preparing to celebrate at her final degree show this month, a Textile Design student at the University of Dundee has created a celebratory birthday card for Hallmark’s customers.
Laura Collins, originally from Kirkcaldy, entered the University of Dundee through the foundation programme. In the third year of her course (2017), she took part in a project which had students working to a brief under the direction of executives at Hallmark.
Laura’s illustrative work stood out so strongly that she was offered a covetable internship at Hallmark’s headquarters in August 2017, which led to a purchase – Hallmark offered Laura a paid publishing fee so that they could develop her design into a fun birthday card, which is now on sale in Waitrose stores.
Laura said, “It was amazing to be offered the placement, but to be asked to design for them has been really rewarding as, given that there’s no obligation to offer students any work, they must have genuinely liked my designs!
“I was asked to make a board of my work, which was displayed in the Hallmark offices for staff to look at. If any of the departments like the work then they get in touch to take it further and develop it, which is what happened to me. They purchased one design from me, the egg and egg cup, which was developed by Hallmark into a birthday card. It’s amazing because I just went along to enjoy the internship and the experience, but to get a paid publishing fee out of it was amazing. To have my design being sold in Waitrose is still hard to believe!”
However, there has been little time for Laura to enjoy her success. Since the summer ended, she’s been working hard during her final year of study at the University of Dundee –she will soon receive her final results for her Textile Design course and will exhibit her work at the Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and Architecture degree show, an event which Laura has attended since she was twelve years old.
“Dundee is a home from home. I chose Dundee’s art school because I’d been going to the degree show every year with my mum since I was young.
“The quality of the work is a big thing, it’s amazing and so professional and it’s always so interesting because every year is completely different. Each year I had that feeling of looking at something and thinking ‘wow that’s so cool, I want to have something like that’. I found the work of the students inspiring.
“I had always wanted to go to art school, I’ve known that’s what I wanted to do since primary school. Seeing the show every year here in Dundee has been a huge inspiration. And now I’m doing it for myself! My mum is so excited.
“It’s quite a bit of pressure but it’s so exciting, and the Hallmark experience made me feel like I could do this. I don’t think I could have tried any harder so whatever happens I’ll be happy.”
The Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design and Architecture degree show takes place from 19 - 27 May 2018. https://www.dundee.ac.uk/degreeshow/
The University of Dundee Textile Design BDes (Hons) course is one of the highest ranked textile courses in the UK. https://www.dundee.ac.uk/study/ug/textile-design/
For media enquiries contact:
Roddy Isles
Head of Corporate Communications
University of Dundee
Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4HN
Tel: +44 (0)1382 384910
Mobile: 07800 581902
Email: r.isles@dundee.ac.uk