28.06.06
University College Falmouth's Graphic Design students achieve best ever results in Royal Society of Arts awards scheme

Not content with winning a mere 21 major national awards so far this year, students from University College Falmouth's BA (Hons) in Graphic Design have now swept the boards at this year's RSA Design Directions awards.

RSA Design Directions encourage emerging young designers to engage with the broader social and environmental context in which they will work after graduation. Themes covered this year included Design for Debate, Natural Disaster Relief, Re-designing States of Mind, Horizon Scanning, Design for Patient Safety, 24 Hour Living, Postage Stamps, Designing out Waste, Sustainable Packaging, Designing for Emergencies, Ceramic Futures, Campaigning by Design, Inclusive Worlds, Fashion, and Fashion Interiors.

With a record number of six students shortlisted from the College's BA (Hons) Graphic Design course, three went on to receive awards in this prestigious and hotly-contested awards scheme.

Sarah Whitehouse won the Sustainable Packaging category, winning an internship at upmarket supermarket chain, Waitrose, worth £2,500.

Mark Stubbington won the Postage Stamp category, winning six-week internships at Pentagram and Lewis Moberely, sponsored by the Royal Mail and worth £2,500.

Phillippa Chaney won the Campaigning by Design category and a Design Council Award of £750.

Sarah won the Sustainable Packaging category for eliminating toothpaste waste by design. On average, 10% of all toothpaste is wasted, that is one in ten tubes thrown away. Sarah made toothpaste into capsules, called 'Fresh Tabs' and covered them with an edible film which dissolves in the mouth. The capsules were then housed in a reusable biodegradable dispenser.

Mark's winning designs in the Postage Stamp category depict opposing views of the British seaside, in line with the general public's divided opinions. Some people love to get up early and go surfing, whilst others just can't stand that sand-between-the-toes feeling. Mark's 'heaven and hell' stamps offer consumers the chance to choose which response to the seaside they prefer. His set of four stamps are double-sided and can be licked on either side. Black and white photography depicting 'hell' images appear on one side such as a little boy shivering in a cold, grey sea, and colour images depicting 'heaven' appear on the other side, such as children playing happily in the waves.

Phillippa won the Campaigning by Design category for her animated global warming campaign, 'Polar Realisation', designed to instil into children that our actions affect the world we live in and to demonstrate what will happen if we choose to ignore the current warning signs about climate change. The campaign features an igloo that represents the ozone layer and a polar bear who tries to eliminate a fly using fly spray. The more the polar bear sprays the fly, the quicker his home melts and the quicker he realises that his own behaviour is the cause of the igloo's destruction. Phillippa's campaign also includes a DVD as part of an educational pack for schools, as well as a storybook and accompanying audio CD.

BA (Hons) Graphic Design Course Leader, Jon Unwin, said: "Our students have won an incredible haul of major national awards this year and I congratulate them all. Awards schemes like the RSA's provide students with invaluable experience of the professional world and such high profile successes are a tribute not only to the hard work and commitment of the students themselves, but also to our staff."

Over 1600 students entered this year's competition and previous winners have included Jonathan Ive, designer of the iPod and fashion designer, Betty Jackson.

For further information about BA (Hons) Graphic Design at University College Falmouth, please visit www.falmouth.ac.uk/graphicdesign, or contact Admissions on 01326 211077, or by emailing admissions@falmouth.ac.uk.

Work by the winning students can be viewed at the College's Summer Shows, which are open to the public from Tuesday 27 June to Saturday 1 July 2006, or by visiting www.rsadesigndirections.org.

University College Falmouth is a founding partner in the Combined Universities in Cornwall, a unique initiative to promote regional economic regeneration through higher education. The CUC has investment from the European Union (Objective One), the South West Regional Development Agency, and the Higher Education Funding Council for England, with support from Cornwall County Council.

For further information please contact Jilly Easterby, Public Relations Officer, University College Falmouth on 01326 211077 or email: jilly.easterby@falmouth.ac.uk.

The Objective One Programme for Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly has invested in the Combined Universities in Cornwall (CUC) project, both Phase 1 and Phase 2 through the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and the European Social Fund (ESF). University College Falmouth is a partner in the CUC.

Editor's notes:

Clare Morgan
Media Relations Manager
Objective One Partnership Office
Castle House
Pydar Street
Truro TR1 2UD
Mobile: 07973 813647
Telephone: 01872 223439

cmorgan@cornwall.gov.uk

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