Portsmouth graphic design students earn prestigious awards

12 final-year graphic design students at the University of Portsmouth have won prestigious international awards from the industry leader.

Two — Jefferson Robinson and Zoe Fouracre — were also given special recognition for their winning entries by being awarded merits by the International Society of Typographic Designers.

The society asks graphic design students to select from one of five briefs to enter into its annual awards, each with strict rules and stringent technical considerations.

Mike Harkins, senior lecturer and course leader on the BA Graphic Design course, was thrilled at how well so many of his students had done.

He said: “It would be fairly safe to say that this result is outstanding. We have been very successful in previous years but to achieve 12 winners is wonderful. I am so proud of the students and their commitment. It is a very tough thing to achieve. Our successful numbers perhaps make it look easier to achieve than it is, but it should be stressed this is not the case.

“The bar is set extremely high for these awards and those who entered and didn’t win also deserve to be praised, because it’s such a demanding competition and all Portsmouth students’ work was of an excellent standard.”

Over the past few years, Mike has developed teaching methods designed to help students rise to the challenges demanded of them by leaders in the industry.

He said it was the students’ dedication and willingness to improve their knowledge of typography, along with their ambition to produce great work, which made them stand out.

The students were encouraged to work together on their entries.

Mike continued: “Opening the students up to learning from each other as a group is what pushes them all. Encouraging a working studio dynamic and ethos really raises the standard of their work.”

The winning students are:

• Zoe Fouracre (merit)
• Jefferson Robinson (merit)
• Rebecca Recas
• Simon Young
• Rhys Davies
• Joshua Boughton

• Max Everard-Batchelor
• Connor Dyer
• Shahad Milibari
• Lucy Pittard
• Lawrence Gostick
• Harry Lewis-Irlam

The International Society of Typographic Designers’ annual awards are designed to encourage and inspire tutors and students to explore and develop typography as an inherent part of the design process.

The successful students will attend a ceremony in London in July to receive their award of certificates and membership to the International Society of Typographic Designers with the affix MISTD, which is highly regarded within the industry.