The Thoughtful 6 – an introduction

‘We don’t talk much, despite what they tell you, design educators and the design “industry” need to talk more. There is a lot at stake. 

The Thoughtful 6 project is really a dialogue. On the surface it’s a fantastic opportunity for 6 students to undertake a long placement – in itself a positive thing. And yes there will be lots of design done – but I don’t think the graphic design is the important part.  

A student remarked recently, “I want to see designers designing”. And here you will, the bit we tend to call graphic design, that’s the bit at the end, shouldn’t be the only measure of what we do. Seeing designers designing, the everyday of what goes on in a design agency, is to see perhaps that its about being part of something, learning to be flexible, agile, innovative, and collaborative. Learning how to be comfortable dealing with people, and realising that “doing design” doesn’t mean being stuck at a desk. It’s can do mixed with plenty of why not?

Should design agencies be doing more for design students? Yes. Here’s one reason: 88% of design businesses believe the work placement should be an essential requirement but only 54% will consider offering you one. We know design agencies are small, especially when compared to industries like banking and retail. But in these spheres graduates are thought of as the people who will transform, lead and innovative. Does the design industry think like that about their graduates? Rarely. Is this because design graduates are less able? Let’s look at that: the true value of a design graduate isn’t being able to “set it up for print” or use keyboard shortcuts. It’s the thinking, critical and cultural awareness, problem seeking/solving and the communicating. This is pretty much top of any graduate employers list of attributes, regardless of the job. And it’s helping to cultivate this kind of graduate where industry should be getting involved. This is why the Thoughtful project has something to contribute to the debate.

An education system predicated only on the needs of the design industry is a sure way to stunt everyone’s growth. To judge everything on commercial terms is to miss the fact that design is rooted in society – there are other values by which we can judge design, teach design, and think about design, beyond just selling stuff! This might seem contradictory coming from a lecturer who has instigated a very industry focused project. I value what the industry can bring to design education but the value isn’t in telling educators what they should be doing (and how crap they are at doing it) the value is in collaboration and dialogue, paying more than mere lip service. We are all involved in the discipline of design I just don’t think that the majority in the design industry recognise this.

Perhaps there is a bigger point to be made: the profession is leading the discipline – the discipline of design should lead the profession – this is how discipline would mature and this way industry may come to value all aspects, including education. This project is part of that debate, it is a dialogue, a new way to configure a relationship between industry and education, it’s a model, its what design is about – change.’

James Corazzo, graphic design tutor, Stockport College.

What is/who are The Thoughtful 6?

The Thoughtful 6 project is GMSA–funded collaboration between Thoughtful, Stockport College, and six of the College’s 2nd–year design students.

The project aims to give the students a real insight to how a design agency works, and what they can expect their roles to be when they get their first job. They’ll get to experience the good, the bad, and the downright ugly. Essentially, it’s a normal work placement, but one with a significant twist. The students will do all this within the walls of the college.

Instead of 6 students going to do work placements at 6 different agencies, the design agency will do the placement at the college. At the beginning of January, Thoughtful packed up their whole outfit, and moved into a dedicated room which has become Thoughtful’s new studio.

Aims of this blog

This blog exists to document The Thoughtful 6’s experience of adjusting to life in an agency, the work they do, and the skills they learn over the next six months. We hope it will become a resource for other young designers looking to pull back the curtains on the industry.

Part of the Thoughtful 6’s job is to produce a Rough Guide to the Creative Industries which will be made available to young people looking at getting a career in the creative fields. This blog will also record the process of designing the Guide and putting it into production.

Comments

[Neil Martin]

"88% of design businesses believe the work placement should be an essential requirement but only 54% will consider offering you one"

That's a pretty shocking fact, but one which I can very much believe. I think so many businesses (Both design-related and otherwise) are so cautious about taking on someone new that perhaps sometimes they forget that it's that newness and a fresh way of thinking that may well do wonders for their business.

[James Corazzo]

Yes Neil, I think you' re right. While there are pragmatic issues that make offering placements difficult for some agencies – space, equipment etc. – the industry has a tendency to be short sighted regarding its own long term interests – as you note such as offering opportunities to "fresh" talent. It seems to have a closed view, I often hear statements like "the talent will rise to the surface" meaning we don't need to encourage them or offer support, or "it was like this in my day".