15 April 2009

Dundee students to work with world-leading design firm

A group of students from the University of Dundee are experiencing the reality of life in the world of professional design after embarking upon a project with one of the world's leading brand consultancies.

Third-year graphic design students from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design are taking part in the 'Creating and Launching a Brand' project with the New York branch of Wolff Olins, who have established themselves as one of the world’s most influential brand consultants.

'Creating and Launching a Brand' aims to equip students with the skills required to work in a commercial design environment and teach them the importance of team work in a professional setting.

The project came about as a result of the association between the University and Malcolm Buick, Design Director at Wolff Olins NYC, who himself studied at Duncan of Jordanstone.

According to graphic design tutor Philip Vaughan, the students will benefit enormously from the project, which has the potential to lead to placements or jobs within the company.

He said, “The link up with Wolff Olins came about through my contact with Malcolm Buick, who is a graduate of Duncan of Jordanstone. Malcolm recognises the excellent grounding in Graphic Design we provide at DJCAD and we are hoping to make the project a regular fixture in Level 3 of the course."

Set to run for 12 weeks, the project challenges the students to undertake the entre branding process, including elements such as brand name, brand identity, brand visualisation and brand story. The final presentation will be judged by Malcolm Buick, Phillip Vaughan and other tutors from Duncan of Jordanstone.

Winners of the project will see their work showcased on the Wolff Olins website, and Malcolm Buick believes students will benefit from the chance to work with the company and experience the process of creating a brand from scratch.

He said, “This is a great opportunity for students to see what really happens in the industry and it will help them to understand what it will be like when they begin their own careers in design. We're looking forward to seeing the results."

Known for challenging the boundaries of design, Wolff Olins is a world-renowned brand consultancy with offices in London, New York and Dubai. Many of the students involved in the project visited the company’s studios during a study trip to New York in January.

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Grant Hill
Press Officer
University of Dundee

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