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13 September 2018

IKEA Creative Workshop

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While a good education, a strong CV and the confidence to apply for jobs form the basis of obtaining a graduate job, some students are finding other ways to gain competitive advantage on the career ladder. In a world where the number of graduates is increasing and companies’ budgets are being squeezed, it is vital that students have already formed employer links by the time it comes for them to graduate.

IKEA event 2

Taking place on Tuesday 11th September, the IKEA creative workshop brought together 11 IKEA employees with 120 photography, graphics and interior architecture students from West College Scotland. With students taking part in a 2 hour intensive workshop, they were then tasked to create and present around this year’s theme, which was ‘hybrid – nature and manmade’. The rules were simple – students had to present a maximum of 10 slides to their peers and their mentors from IKEA, with their presentations featuring either their best photograph of an IKEA product shot in the city or their design for a t-shirt for the future.

With students receiving immediate feedback from IKEA staff and Graeme Hunter, a renowned photographer with 30 years’ experience in national & international photography, the stakes were high and students were keen to impress and show that they are both creative and commercially aware.

Marisa Giannasi, lecturer in Design & Media and West College Scotland’s lead on the project, was delighted with how the workshop turned out, saying:

So much effort went in and so much creativity came out! What a great start to the project!

This year’s IKEA project culminates with an evening pop-up exhibition and awards ceremony at IKEA Glasgow in January. The students are already looking forward to the next step of their challenge and we are looking forward to seeing the results.