Design graduates: Meet the class of 2010

Name Paul Jenkins   
Age 23
Degree BA in graphic and media design
College London College of Communication
Project DVD packaging for the Japanese market consisting of a double-sided information card

Name Nick Shute   
Age 22
Degree BA in 3D design (furniture)
College Leeds College of Art
Project Modular stackable shelving. The packaging was bound together with string and free of glue

Name David Feeney   
Age 26
Degree BA in visual communications and MA in design enterprise
College Doncaster College
Project Scented clothing labels for Top Shop. The design is based on Greek goddesses

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September heralds the start of another academic year, with students flocking to universities to gain the skills needed for the world of work. Many have already taken that step and over the summer graduates started the daunting, and in some cases long, task of finding work.

Packaging News caught up with a trio of design graduates who are considering their options. And rather than aiming to become yet another web designer, the three have an eye on the packaging sector – all of their final projects incorporated some form of packaging. So what are their hopes for the future and what is the appeal of the packaging sector?

Packaging News Tell us a bit about your final project

David Feeney I had free rein and looked at Fox’s biscuit packaging. The brand hadn’t updated the whole range and I wanted to create a more classic look. Then, rather than just work on the rebrand, I wanted to actually look at the packaging itself. It was quite challenging as the graphics had to be placed on a box rather than something flat. For my MA, I decided to create scented clothes labels for Topshop. The concept was to create a multi-sensory experience inside the store that would be remembered. I chose a Greek goddess theme to promote four fragrances.

Nick Shute I designed stackable shelving that can be made into any shape and added to. The packaging is made out of cardboard with five sides. When you pull a piece of string it collapses, revealing the product – there is no glue holding it together.

Paul Jenkins We had to do four major projects in our final year at LCC. One brief was to take an idea from one culture and put it into another. I had worked in Tokyo the previous summer and I returned absolutely obsessed with Japanese consumer culture. Packaging is absolutely massive out there. I did a music DVD with red and white in Japanese, which I feel is very inviting. It’s all held together by an X-band and there’s a double sided information card.

PN Would you like to work in packaging? Is it a viable career option for new graduates?

DF I would love to. The main problem with graphic design is that it can be quite flat. Even if you have created a brand identity and lots of clever marketing techniques with a website, it’s still flat. You can do more with packaging.

NS We were encouraged to take an idea and develop it. We had to do all the research to justify it, test it with the right materials and look at the lifespan of the product. Packaging is an area I’d like to get into.

PJ I get excited about any project regardless of what format it is. If I can’t do it, I team up with someone who can. Packaging really helps to sell a product. In some cases, brands and retailers know what the packaging is going to look like before the final product itself.

PN What kind of packaging do you like or dislike?
PJ I see a lot of good packaging that I like. The recyclable Puma pack [Clever Little Bag] is one example. It’s much more meaningful than churning out standard everyday packaging.

DF Some packaging can be brilliant but some is just rubbish. For example, some water bottles make you ask “what have I got to do to get this open. Why is it so difficult?” Immediately I’m thinking about how I could change it.

NS Sandwich packs can be the same, particularly the ones that open down the middle. When you see the bad stuff you think that if a designer can come up with that then I can do their job.

DF The Orbit Complete packaging used to be a nightmare to open but they’ve now changed it and it’s much easier. But there are some brands that you’re so loyal to that you don’t care one way or the other.

PJ Packaging can get some bad publicity but it is an effective form of advertising. For me, TV ads or billboards are just noise. You hear a lot about there being too much packaging but it has a big impact on consumers. It’s the first thing they turn to in a supermarket. It’s also something that people interact with everyday.

PN What were your experiences at university or college? What about other students on your course? And are you concerned about the jobs market?

PJ There were some people who came out of university with no realistic view on what they could do. Their focus was too narrow; looking at one route. You can do packaging or team up with someone who knows the sector better than you. In my view, there is something wrong with design education as a whole: a lot of talent slips through the net.

DF They teach you how to do graphic design but not how graphic design works in the real world. People can go to the best design university with a degree at the end of it but you need experience. That’s where the focus needs to be as companies don’t want to take you on or always take the time to nurture you. I’ve had to contact a lot of companies and so many don’t get back to you.

NS With more and more cuts as well, it’s a case of get what you can. Any experience you can get will help. I want to do a couple of unpaid internships to get experience. You need to do that to find out how a company works and experience the team atmosphere.

PJ If you work hard, you will get where you want to go. I’m not worried about the jobs market as it’s about being at the right place at the right time. And I’ve seen many graduates have set up their own companies. We should remember that we are not just designers – we are creative minds.

DF I’ve seen talented people who have had just three job interviews and given up. It’s ridiculous that some people are saying that it’s tough getting a job out there when they’ve only applied for a few. If you’re not successful in applying for one then there’s no point dwelling on that as opportunities can still come up.

PN Were you tempted into other areas?
DF When I was exhibiting at the New Designers 2010 exhibition someone asked if I only worked with print. I said yes and she just walked off. I am concerned how obsessed everyone is with websites. You are almost bullied into knowing about stuff like Dreamweaver. Surely you are better off as someone who is an expert in one field. Looking at the jobs market, I feel that people want me to do everything.

PJ I try my hand at everything but I don’t want to be a web designer. I think some skills are transferable from web design to print. That said, if you are great in a specialist area you should stick with it.

NS I want a career that has a varied amount of projects. But there is an obsession with technology. I think one day people will want tactility back.

PJ If someone asked me to design a website I would try it. And online shopping has grown but you still need packaging. It’s a clear example of the two separate areas working together.

DF There is something about getting a piece of packaging. Take CD covers, for example. Sometimes the digital album covers can look good. But I find great inspiration from something physical that someone has designed.

PN Do you feel that the packaging industry needs new blood?

PJ The future is exciting as the older generation, that’s been around for years, moves on.

NS I think companies need to be looking at young designers because they will need fresh innovation. I’m sure that will happen over the next few years.

DF I applied for a job at a design agency where the youngest member of staff was 34. People didn’t want to work there because they didn’t work on the big brands. But it was doing well and carried out projects for a raft of international brands. Many places expect you to match the way they work. What’s the point of having mini clones? Where is the fresh approach?

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MORE AT PACKAGING NEWS TV
Packaging News visited the New Designers 2010 event in June to meet more up-and-coming new graduates.

To find out what they had to say about packaging, watch their interviews here.

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