17 Comments

Every year I look forward to seeing great web design work (not necessarily Flash), but am always - without exception - disappointed with the quality.

It's not the students' fault: web design teaching seems to be non-existant which is a problem I'm not sure can easily be solved. If you're a good web designer, it's far more lucrative to work in the industry than teach (unless, perhaps, you teach in a private school like Hyperisland?).
Daniel H
2010-06-14 12:27:45

Graduating last year from a top Arts London design college, known for its forward-thinking attitude, I concur that web design is barely touched upon. I'm not saying it should've been forced onto us - not everyone wants/needs to be web-proficient. But having the option would've been helpful.

Personally, I never took an interest in web, but that's because I never had to. As a student I was *taught* barely anything technical - after the interminable induction session to the various Adobe stalwarts in the overheated computer room after lunch every Wednesday, we were on our own, and that was largely fine. You learned on the job, brief by brief. We never received a web brief in the three years. If you landed one independently you taught yourself with no formal support from college, other than from one hugely generous/knowledgeable staff member who spent his life patiently fielding day-and-night phone calls from students with problems and crises. I believe we all owe him our degrees and consequent successes.

My freelance work, personal preference and ability all directed me towards typographic and print-led design - if I'd been given a web design challenge to tackle, I'd have given it 100%, probably learned a great deal, and be a better and more confident all-rounder today. But I didn't get one, admittedly didn't search for one and didn't have the time to invent one and teach myself. As a conscientious and perpetually busy student, to sit down with a textbook and learn step-by-step web design would've required the luxury of time I didn't have.

Perhaps if it'd been built into the course, along with motion graphics (another discipline massively dis-serviced by many courses) I might've had the opportunity to unlock much earlier a whole new side to my talent. I can't help but feel being a late starter web-wise does delay a graduate's professional progress - being inexperienced with web design definitely closes doors that graduates really, really need to be open.
Fran
2010-06-14 13:21:20

Fran, Daniel: I completely agree with you about the lack of web design education. It's a great shame, as it offers so much potential for exciting work. And it's a versatile skill set too. For example, the skills you learn from building websites can easily be transferred to building apps for mobile devices or even desktop applications with free tools like Appcelerator's Titanium. Students are missing out!

In fact, I've just finished working on a fun little iPhone app called "Art School Cliché Spotting", which I think you might enjoy. Clichés at degree shows have always amused me, so a few weeks ago I helped create this free app that you bring along to the degree shows and check off any clichés you find.

People seem to really enjoy it. You can check out the top scores at:
http://www.clichespotting.com
Barnaby Norwood
2010-06-14 14:34:49

I don't think web design should be explicitly taught in universities. It would probably be impossible as the scope of knowledge to be learnt is huge and things move to fast. That knowledge has to be self taught. However what should be taught is interface and screen design (web, phones, Tvs, kiosks, etc).



In the time I have been designing/developing sites with designers from print backgrounds I have noticed that they tend to only design within a fixed size, never considering what happens if x, y and z happen or they don't know that x,y and z are possible. Although that is changing. As Fran said it is becoming more expected for designers to know everything.



Ideally a course like that would be working with developers to actually implement the designs. Laying something out in your chosen DTP software is very different to seeing it working on the screen.
Thomas
2010-06-14 14:47:00

hey check our degree show !!! with website :) http://www.startshow.co.uk
Roman Rütten
2010-06-14 14:49:32

In my uni, graphic design was taught in the art college, and "propper" web design was kept very seperate over in the IT department. I think it would have been good if the two subjects got together every now and then.

I agree with thomas, an interface design module would have been good.
Sam
2010-06-14 16:04:45

I went to the university of creative arts degree show which is at the OXO tower called "lets get lost together" and a lot of their web design including flash was really playful and fresh especially from up coming graduates. The only problem was that most of web design work was hidden at the top of the building could of been exhibited a lot better.
Jane
2010-06-14 16:43:51

I want to see the collected tears of a thousand rejected design job applicants.

And more web design.
Michael Oswell
2010-06-14 17:20:04

Ah the common misconception that students are laden with debt. If they've been spending beyond their maintenance loans, taking out bank loans and big overdrafts, then yes. But the sensible majority leave with the combined debt of the maintenance loan and tuition fees. This is a sum which is only paid off when they earn over £15k, and even then, the percentage they pay back each month is so small, when coupled with the interest the debt is accruing.

Although they have to pay that percentage each month, it is so insignificant that it takes tens of years to pay back and it doesn't affect their credit rating, nor their ability to take out a mortgage. Paying chunks off would essentially mean, throwing their money away. The best way of treating it is like a student tax.
Squelch
2010-06-14 17:26:23

@ Barnaby Norwood.
I'm not sure your website is very fair. I understand that you mean it as "a little fun", but I don't really agree. It comes across as quite demeaning towards past and present graduates and feels a little bit like bullying.

I think you should perhaps better spend your time supporting the current crop of graduates in what is expected to be a difficult 12 months instead of demeaning their hard work.
Ben Mottershead
2010-06-14 21:30:18

It is very hard to display web design for a grad show as ultimately you are stuck with a visitor who is after a quick fix not a 5-20min experience.

Visitors are still used to traditional deign where all the visuals are available at stage one, where in web design you are expecting the user to learn, explore and create, but after a wiggle of the mouse and 3 clicks the viewer will move on. I found myself standing next to my pece having to explain how simple it is to use, slightly defeating. ultimately http://www.oicgame.co.uk was not a piece that suited a grad show environment.

The "Decode" exhibition at the V&A showed how interactivity can be done at its best but also showed its flaws, by hi-lighting the fact that if you have to use a mouse (or a keybored) to interact people are already bored/confused.
Vic
2010-06-14 21:45:37

I have yet to come away impressed by a degree show.

Each Graphic Design show I have attended; and I include my own here; was an uninspiring, dull affair. No matter how professional the individual examples of work may appear, it is impossible to gauge how successful a piece is when shown completely out of context. The problem here is universities are more interested in using degree shows as tools for recruitment than helping existing students finish their course of study with a bang.

For an art student, work is constantly built up to prepare for a series of shows throughout a 3-year BA course. Exhibitions become a hugely important part of the working process and an incredibly useful networking tool, therefore it is vital for artists to make the most of their environment. For designers, there is no such pressure to follow suite: industry does not require us to work this way. So for many, the degree show is the first time a creative student is forced to consider how work should be displayed in public.

When I graduated, a group of us wanted to hold our degree show at an industrial complex at the heart of the old manufacturing district in Sheffield. Here, we felt we could exhibit our university work with significant space for each student, and also work together on a creative project to challenge the environment and history of the area itself. Each of us felt this was a fitting end to 3 years, and a great opportunity to work together as a group. Unfortunately, our university chose not to support us and we were lumped into the generic university-wide show: all creative courses shoehorned together in the studios we’d spent our time working in every day, each student with a board displaying one or two pieces of work utterly out of context.

What struck me at every show I’ve attended over the last two years is how formulaic and repetitive they are in format: the same white space, the same white display boards, the same embarrassing speeches and so on… Although free wine rarely fails to make an occasion more entertaining, I feel the culmination of three years of work should be a celebration of achievement and the pinnacle of a creative course; not an outdated affair identical to almost every show throughout the country.
Alex Szabo-Haslam
2010-06-15 09:52:28

@Ben I was involved with the project too. I can see what you mean and I would probably agree if it was something done by someone outside the context of design education. But you should bear in mind that we're students and this is simply light hearted satire. Over the course of the last 3-4 years we resorted to some of these clichés ourselves, so in a way you could also see this as a piece of self-reflection. Of course it's a somewhat cruel prank, but it's done by students who don't take themselves too seriously. I hope you can see it from this perspective too.
Paz
2010-06-15 10:34:29

Simplicity
Simon Whybray
2010-06-15 12:54:10

For me, too much attention is thrown upon the designer, and not the user. Once Universities and creatives 'get this', it becomes intuitive, engaging, and importantly exciting.

Too much emphasis goes on design, and not enough on creating a suitable 'user experience'. Sounds obvious, many miss it.

I'd like to see Engagement or Web Planning become a module on top courses. Perhaps then they'd get visiting, capable and experienced lecturers turned on. Right now it looks dull and too 'designer' to be relevant.

Lecturing doesn't have to be full time, and many do it once a week. For me, it's the Universities approach which should be addressed. The rest will follow.
Graham Watson – Art Director.
2010-06-15 13:23:06

Although some good points raised - very few of the comments above answer the very interesting question that has been put forward, which is annoying because i would love to know peoples answers.
George Foote
2010-06-15 22:10:19

Over the last three years reduced end of year shows budgets along with reduced space have forced us to rethink the way we present our degree shows. For me, as a programme leader some very useful commentary above, with particular reference to Graham Watson and Simon Whybray. We try to profile all our graduates in a fair and equal way. Though next year we will only exhibit the very best work, re-enforcing the importance of competition. It won't please all but that's how it is.
Christopher Morris
2010-06-16 20:49:53

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