University students win awards in national design competition

Four University of Gloucestershire students have won awards in a national design competition aimed at promoting excellence, enhancing employability skills and connecting students with industry.

Beckie Campbell-Kemp (main image) and Gemma Averiss each won Gold and Kelsey Lindsay (pictured below) and Alice Brett each won Silver at the 2022 Brief Cases Awards for university students, led by sustainability specialists The Heaven Company.

The final-year Graphic Design students successfully met the organisers’ brief of designing solutions that addressed how to promote community and create a sense a belonging in remote regions.

The winning designs by Gemma (pictured below) promoted a street party on the village green in Twyning, near Tewkesbury, to celebrate the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee in June 2022 and bring together the local community and strengthen connections.

Beckie’s successful submission were designs to promote a community event hosted at Minchinhampton Common in Stroud that showcased sustainable practices and supported small businesses, encouraging the community to ‘share your wares’.

Kelsey impressed the judging panel with a campaign to promote mental wellbeing among women through a cycling club, which also helped to support the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

The award-winning campaign by Alice (pictured below) – entitled Block By – used social media to help promote activities in Newent in cooperation with local businesses who invested profits made from sales into the town.

Judges said the submissions were “very impressive”, that they would impress commercial clients in a pitch, and that the students had a “great future in design”.

Claudia Brewster, Course Leader for the BA (Hons) Graphic Design course based within the University’s School of Arts, said: “We’re always incredibly proud when our students win awards and gain national recognition, so we’re thrilled for Gemma, Beckie, Kelsey and Alice.

“The Brief Cases Awards attract entries from students at universities across the UK, so it’s a fabulous achievement and showcases their Sustainable thinking and fantastic future potential.”