Students recently took part in an exciting creative project that gave them the opportunity to work with a live design brief, creating infographics for a pocket map commissioned by the Isle of Wight National Landscape. The project began with a field trip to Brading Down, where students explored the surrounding landscape and discussed its unique features, habitats, and wildlife. These observations were essential to inspire and inform the infographic designs that will eventually appear on the finished map. Although the weather was less than ideal, the experience proved to be both engaging and rewarding. Students spent time sketching and photographing elements of the landscape, carefully recording details that could influence their design ideas when returning to the studio. Following the walk, the group visited Brading Roman Villa, where they began discussing their initial concepts with Vicky from the National Landscape team, and professional designer Michelle Lott. Working directly with an industry professional provided students with invaluable insight into the creative process beyond the classroom. It offered a rare opportunity to understand how designers interpret real-world briefs and transform research and observations into practical visual solutions.

A week later, the second stage of the project took place back at school. By this point, students had developed their initial design ideas and were ready to refine them further. During a two-hour workshop led by Michelle Lott of Mooks Goo, students worked on perfecting their icons so they could be used as part of the final map design. Throughout the workshop, Michelle shared practical advice about working in the creative industry and offered detailed feedback on each student’s work. Her guidance helped students improve their designs while gaining a deeper understanding of professional design practices. Overall, the project provided a highly valuable learning experience, allowing students to apply their creativity in a real-world context while collaborating with industry professionals and contributing to a project that celebrates the unique landscape of the Isle of Wight. We can’t wait to see the finished map!