6/10, could do better.

Are we preparing our design students for the reality of work in the industry? This question has been asked over and over, and as a practitioner and educator myself, one that constantly crops up in conversation.

The UK has a tremendous reputation for creativity, and within its design education system, huge reserves of new talent. I do find that in the first year of the degree programme, the students have to be taught how to think both creatively and independently again, having been through a secondary education system that focuses on collective results for league table standings rather than the individuality of the arts.

Once de-institutionalised, there is of course a danger that letting the creative student simply become self indulgent will only result in folios resembling those of fine art students.

We need to remember we are in the business of problem solving, graphic design is applied creativity. We must show our next generation of creatives how to combine art and commerce, to make them fit for purpose. I believe this has to be done by giving real life problems to be solved in real life timescales. Of course, having said that, there must not be too much emphasis on tight deadlines and commercially ready design, most graphic design degrees are not vocational after all, and that would also make the job of design agencies too easy. They do, seem to want their junior designers to be the 'just add water' kind. I guess they simply don't want to spend too much time actually showing them the industry from the four teas, all with milk, two with sugar, one coffee, decaf of course, oh and pop out and get some jammie dodgers and six jam doughnuts, up to the client presentation and ego stroking end of the business.

So our challenge is to prepare students for the realities of the studio, large or small, whilst leaving their imagination free to wander. On the whole, I think we are getting it right, but as the title of this rant suggests, we could do better.