Education | Our finest flowers: thoughts on British* graphic design
in a subtropical environment (*Cornish?)

• Author
• Timothy Donaldson, timothy.donaldson@falmouth.ac.uk

• University
• University College Falmouth
  
  
• Website
• www.falmouth.ac.uk, Falmouth Butterfly




The successful academic pursuit of graphic design at Falmouth is a paradox. As a learning experience structured around values of ideation, craft and context it produces strong contributions to graphic design culture in the form of its graduates yet, from its base in sub-tropical Cornwall, it is the most southerly, westerly university encounter in England (only 36 miles from Land’s End) and is geographically remote. We ponder this enigma. Our students are always encouraged to ask questions, so it seems apt to ask some of our finest flowers to answer some of ours. We hope that this might begin to define what it is that we do at the edge and why it works so well.



The critical mind: Did we encourage you to ask questions? Why?
Falmouth sought to equip their students with a critical mindset, always maintaining the process of engaging in regular critique. My ability and confidence when talking through my work with others is a skill I developed there. Lectures were a helpful and inspiring introduction into accessing students’ critical minds, allowing them to go away with something to develop their own critical viewpoint upon. [JH] In Falmouth I felt I was constantly urged to question everything. Knowing why you are doing something really helps when pitching your work, ‘because I thought it looked nice’ rarely goes down well. [WK] One of the key parts to Falmouth was the emphasis on exploring ideas within a studio environment in parallel to larger ideas within society. This emphasis leads to an ability to think critically. [BL] If you’re not asking questions then you’re not learning, if you’re not constantly taking in your surroundings how are you meant to better them? [AW] Tutors made it clear that assessment would involve how we ask questions and critique work amongst peers. Asking, questions about other students’ work, I would instantly feel involved in their project and excited about the ideas we discussed. I have taken that ‘question asking’ with me into the working environment. [ST] ...



Caption:


Top: Staff & Students, Programme Poster 2011, Falmouth Butterfly. Each year, the course sends out a piece of promotional material to prospective students on Foundation, ND and A-Level courses to encourage applications for the following year. Art direction was overseen by Jon Unwin (programme leader) & Andy Neal (Senior Lecturer), and was typeset by Andy. There is a ‘making of’ video online. Search for ‘Falmouth Butterfly’.



Images © University College Falmouth 2011