The project 'Advice to Glide into Uni' intends to create a clear and assistive message that can be shared to commencing QUT students in 2022. The project was completed within an image production unit in my second year of study. The prerequisite of the advice given in this project must be drawn from the perspective of a current student who has successfully engaged in their first year at university, achieved a sense of belonging at QUT, and received access to support. Moreover, the design outcome must target the broad or select group of first years who face the challenge of uncertainty when commencing an undergraduate degree.
About the Client:
The Student Success Group recognises diversity, offers a range of support services, and reverses the common notion of unsupported study at univesity by making an impact. They provide assistance to all QUT students within career develoment and employability, Maths, Science, and IT (STEM), language and learning, student retention, and peer programs. All services are delivered with equity and convenience to the student and they uphold QUT’s values of ambition, curiosity, integrity, inclusiveness, and innovation.
Ultimately, the Student Success Group seeks a campaign message that offers advice for a select group of first year students - first year disability students starting at universtiy - that prepares, educates, and reassures them of their uncertainty when commencing their undergraduate degrees at QUT.
The Design Problem:
The ‘common misconception’ as described by the Student Success Group of university is framed by the feelings of uncertainty and dubiousness towards recieiving support when commencing a first year of undergraduate studying. As defined in the following document, first year disability students struggle to feel prepared, educated to their full and reassured of their potential, focusing the purpose of this design process to develop a print, screen, and online campaign with text advice.
Target Audience:
The specified target audience in the brief states that the design must appeal to students arriving at QUT in 2022 (or, new QUT students). In context, the audience can be narrowed down to first year university students.
To address this design problem, the design needed to be inspired by three profound keywords that represent the values of QUT, Student Support Group, and myself - the designer; Inclusivity, Adaptability, and Resilience.
Context and Approach:
Sought from the Support Services Group website, a strong online presence displays a range of services with primary insight of their impact on students.
To capture insight of the audience, the Student Support Group offered a range of student stories, highlighting their personal and professional achievements through studying with the support of this group. While listening to the student’s stories, quotes were gathered.
Another approach to capturing insight was through social media platforms. As explained in the context of the research, the best method of delivery to this audience is via an online medium. To inform the creative and iterative process of offering this audience advice, the QUT instagram page offers advice to other students. Although these video created messages aren’t delivered directly from the Support Services Group, it is clear that when reaching out to other students, especially emerging students, the best medium of delivery is via social, online platforms.
Design Concept and Rationale:
I aimed to generate a focus on SSG’s impact on the ‘level playing field’ and that studying for the ‘real world’ requires equity among students where support services focus on meeting the needs of every unique student. This concept features the power of building the ‘real world’ with an inclusive community. This is represented by portraying the world as a puzzle with a group of diverse students who require various needs of support gathering around to assemble the puzzle (or, the ‘real world’).
The Production Context:
The intended medium of this concept is vector illustration.
The digital content will be produced for social media sights, such as a LinkedIn posts or instagram stories. This seemed to be the best approach as it targets the audience using the virtual platforms that can be reached from anywhere.
The print content would best suit a QUT pamphlet, preferrably handed out on Orientation Week where students have the opportunity to speak to the Support Group one-on-one.
References:
Queensland University of Technology. (2021). Disability Support. QUT Support Services. https://www.qut.edu.au/study/student-life/support/disability-support
(1) Queensland University of Technology. (2021). Support for Students. QUT Support Services. https://www.qut.edu.au/study/student-life/support
(2) Queensland University of Technology. (2021). Disability Services - Josh. QUT Support Services. https://www.qut.edu.au/study/student-life/support
(3) Queensland University of Technology. (2021). Disability Services - Cassandra. QUT Support Services. https://www.qut.edu.au/study/student-life/support
(4) Queensland University of Technology. (2021). Disability Services - Erin. QUT Support Services. https://www.qut.edu.au/study/student-life/support
