Harrison 
What positive lessons can we learn from the pandemic when it comes to improving education and accessibility for young creators? D&AD Chancellor and Director of Academic Programs at Central Saint Martins University rebecca wright, I’ll investigate.
COVID-19 has hit the creative community particularly hard, and it remains one of the sectors most at risk from the crisis. One year into the pandemic, a report from the Otis College of Art and Design found that California alone has lost 175,000 jobs, and New York state has seen a 66% decline in creative sector employment.
On the surface, such a bleak outlook does not bode well for students and emerging creators who are experiencing unprecedented upheaval in schooling. But on a more positive note, this situation could provide new opportunities to develop up-and-coming design talent and bring about positive change in the long term.
In my role as Dean of Central Saint Martins, University of the Arts London, and Chair of D&AD, the advertising and design not-for-profit education organization and awards program bridging the gap between education and education, I I’ve seen it first hand. industry.
For example, last year D&AD partnered with Google to expand D&AD Shift, an industry-led free night school for emerging creators facing barriers to higher education or employment. D&AD Shift with Google was originally founded in London, but moved to New York and has now expanded to three cities, including Sydney. Over 67% of our graduates go on to work at leading creative companies such as Droga5, The Mill, McCann and Design Bridge. These promising results have made it possible to establish a digital campus and increase the reach and accessibility of the program.
The accessibility and quality of online education is one of the biggest challenges of the pandemic, but it may also be one of its most positive legacies. Through their remarkable adaptation to online learning, Central Saint Martins students have developed unique transferable skills that we believe will have real value in commercial settings. In the digital space, they are learning new ways to connect, enhance, and amplify their ideas.
The broader creative community is also seeing an opportunity to do things differently in the wake of the pandemic. This includes leading agencies and brands that are adapting their approaches to support and develop young design talent.
Alasdair Lennox is Group Executive Creative Director, Americas Experience at Landor and Fitch, one of the agencies leading workshops at D&AD Shift. For him, the pandemic has highlighted the importance of supporting creators without formal design education.
“More diversity leads to more creativity, but we need to actually create those opportunities for people,” Lennox said. He also acknowledged that the pandemic brought an unexpected benefit in the form of a more diverse design talent pool.
“San Francisco, where I’m based, is a great creative center, but it’s too expensive for many people to live in,” he continued. “Three years ago, we would have hired people within commuting distance. But now we can hire great people from far away. We’ve become real levelers.”
Remote work has also encouraged creative agencies to strengthen their support systems not only for interns, but also for graduates and school leavers transitioning into real work.
“Work experience for interns can feel very transactional at the moment,” said Jess Murray, creative director at Design Bridge in New York. “They are briefed, sent home, and then have to re-present their work on a digital platform like Teams, which can feel very formal. We walk them through a step-by-step process. We are making an even greater effort in teaching and have introduced an in-house mentoring program and will continue to do so in an in-person setting.”
D&AD Shift recognizes the importance of Marie’s point and also recognizes that not all opportunities arise immediately after four months of night school. To address this, we recently created Shift Select, an additional month of hands-on learning. The program allows Shifters to specialize in advertising, design or production routes and learn alongside agency partners. We also introduced Shift Studio, an industry-led learning experience that allows Shift graduates to continue developing their portfolios. The program includes guided, concise answers, and tackling business and social challenges, working directly with in-house teams from brands like Google, Disney, giffgaff, and Here Design.
It’s important for brands to support up-and-coming creatives, especially when it comes to increasing access and diversity. Ratna Desai, director of product design for personalization experiences at Netflix, believes technology companies can play a big role in developing the next generation of designers. She believes that “the people designing our services should reflect our members around the world.” It’s essential to building comprehensive products. ”
To this end, Netflix has launched a unique program called Netflix Pathways Bootcamp. This program develops students’ technology skills by applying them to real-world business problems. They aim to increase representation in the tech industry, particularly in Black and Latinx communities.
As a result of initiatives like D&AD Shift, both Murray and Desai found more individuals volunteering their time and resources to support young talent.
“A separate driving program is set up to support creatives who want a career in the industry but haven’t had the opportunity to graduate from university,” Murray said. “John Glasgow, co-founder of creative agency Vault 49, is spearheading an effort to give low-income students the opportunity to work on projects and expand their network.”
Desai also sees an increase in exciting hands-on opportunities. “I recently attended an amazing event called Made in the Future, founded and led by Christie Tillman, Product Design Director for Creative Production and Promotions at Netflix,” she said. “The program provides an opportunity for design leaders and senior practitioners to come together to share ideas, foster friendships, and support the professional development of fellows (an underrepresented emerging design workforce) through a series of immersive events. To do.”
There’s no denying that the pandemic has hit the creative community hard, but it’s also brought a wide range of benefits. This fosters the acquisition of new skills, encourages consideration of new approaches to design education, and reiterates the importance of working together as a community to ensure new creators reach their potential. I did. It’s also proof that we never stop learning and evolving, even if we’re established creators. I’m proud that D&AD supports up-and-coming talent and encourage creators from all over the world to get involved as much as possible.
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