Learn about the real world, not This Life

Why is it that the education of design graduates is so awful? I would like to employ talented, knowledgeable, articulate designers who know something about life. Life beyond the Mac (both workstation and Big), mouse, TV, music, fashion, food and football.

I recently interviewed six candidates for the position of graphic designer. Maybe I was unlucky with five of them, but on topics ranging from foreign affairs, problems with the Mir Space Station, global warming, Queen’s Award for Industry, ISO 9000, Investors in People, finishing (as in hand-creasing and folding), proof marks, web offset and sheet-fed printing and so on, I met with ignorance, blank expressions and inertia.

Maybe my interpersonal skills are not that great, and I should smile more, but life would be much richer and more rewarding for all of us, not to mention the interviewing process, if colleges and universities helped to prepare our future communicators for the real world.

Tony Huggett

Quarto Design

Arundel BN18 9DH