Brief Cases aims to bridge the gap between academia and commercial work by setting students industry briefs which address skills gaps and tackle emerging issues. This year, students across BA (Hons) Graphic Design and BA (Hons) Illustration at University of Staffordshire reaped thirteen wins, ranging from gold to highly commended.
The students were challenged to respond to a ‘tomorrow’s households packaging brief’ or a ‘mental health campaign brief to build resilience’ and received support from Brief Cases founder Veronica Heaven and industry partners throughout the project.
Gold winner Dan Forrester’s project was centred around the global challenges surrounding men’s mental health and the stigma that often prevents them from seeking help.
“With 40% of men reporting that they wouldn’t feel comfortable talking to someone about their mental health, I aimed to raise awareness that even in the toughest times, no one is truly alone in their struggles,” he explained.
“The campaign, titled “Don’t Man Up, Speak Up,” challenges the outdated stereotype that men should suppress their emotions and instead encourages open conversations about mental health.”
Fellow Graphic Design student Hayley Horrigan, who won a silver award, said: “Briefcases was an amazing chance to combine creativity with purpose. The challenge pushed me to think about how design can make a difference in people's lives. Good design is about more than just how it looks. It's about the impact it has on our societal communities.”
Both briefs encouraged students to consider research, problem solving, innovative creativity and design-thinking skills.
Veronica Heaven, founder of Brief Cases, said: “I am absolutely delighted that Brief Cases at University of Staffordshire continues to go from strength-to strength, year-on-year. There are some outstanding outcomes, and our judges have been blown away with the standard of entries.
“With the excellent support of the Graphics and Illustration lecturers, Sam, Matt, Molly and colleagues in the lecturing team, many of the students are delivering to commercial standard – even in their second year as undergraduates. It bodes extremely well for the industry.”
Sam Owen, Graphic Design Course Leader, added: “This is a wonderful partnership that provides a structured approach and allows our visual communication students to investigate societal and environmental matters that impact us all. Working with external industry assists with a plethora of employability skills. 13 wins this year is amazing and we’re all super proud of the students’ desire to succeed.”