Here’s our pick of the most talented graphic designers and illustrators from UAL, Kingston and Ravensbourne.
We’ve already brought you our favourite graduates from outside London, as well as from two opposite corners of the UK: Edinburgh and Falmouth. Now discover the rest of our picks of the very best graphic design, illustration and animation graduates from the capital's finest colleges.
Whether you’re looking for new creative talent for your studio or collaborative opportunities, the talented graduates here boast exceptional final year projects that excel in both concept and execution – and are worth keeping an eye on.
And don't forget to head over to D&AD New Blood at London’s Old Truman Brewery, Shoreditch, from 5-6 July to get a closer look at the work from the class of 2017 and meet the graduates in person.
Want to search by university instead of scrolling through? Just hit the drop-down menu above to skip to: London College of Communication, Chelsea College of Art, Camberwell College of Art, Ravensbourne or Kingston University.
An unassuming brief – the visual documentation of the usage of a graphic design bookshelf within the Central Saint Martins’ library over 30 days – yielded a spectacular Futurist eruption of geometry and colour, and was one of the standout pieces at Saint Martins’ show.
Jiawei Yu modestly claims he simply wanted to "make people aware of the importance of using a library correctly", but his interactive book, shelf and poster demonstrate how the simplest of briefs often produce the richest rewards.
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VR is one of the year’s hottest trends, and Oliver Vanes and Kwan Chow set out to explore the crossover with graphic design. The duo created a series of posters, then transformed them into VR experiences.
“We wanted to create a graphic, typographical experience, moving away from traditional ‘room’ or ‘world’ structures,” explains Vanes. “It has been fantastic to see people have such emotional reactions to it.”
Berlin-born illustrator Noah Petri begins all his work with a hand-drawn, time-intensive line image. “Often the lines in my initial drawings are so meticulous and refined, they are already mistaken for computer-generated elements,” he explains.
“I then scan the image in and slowly start digitally manipulating it. A hybrid between classical hand-drawn elements, digital tools and photographic components develops.”
Sharing the same highly distinctive style, the resulting portraits, environments and themes hail from a dark and mysterious world. “They are aggressive and dark, creepy, unsettling and, in essence, otherworldly,” says Petri. “I’m creating a coherent visual world for the viewer to explore.”
Originally from Hungary, Berta Valló is fascinated by human behavioural patterns and emotions, and her work often explores themes of identity and female sexuality in relation to consumerist culture.
Having lived in London for three years, she was inspired by 15th-century German artist Albrecht Dürer to create two-metre-high digital print Paraphrase in an attempt to condense how she feels about the capital’s diverse and complex culture.
A proudly analogue designer in an increasingly digital world, Andrew Long returned to education after working as a plumber.
Designed to encourage more of his fellow students to explore CSM’s letterpress workshop, his project is based around a series of beautifully produced prints highlighting some of the fonts from the collection.
Next page: All the top talent from London College of Communication
Computer Arts will be bringing you the cream of the 2017 graduate crop in a special new talent issue, on sale 21 July.Subscribe nowto make sure you get your copy – and get five issues for just £5.
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Nick has worked with world-class agencies including Wolff Olins, Taxi Studio and Vault49 on brand storytelling, tone of voice and verbal strategy for global brands such as Virgin, TikTok, and Bite Back 2030. Nick launched the Brand Impact Awards in 2013 while editor of Computer Arts, and remains chair of judges. He's written for Creative Bloq on design and branding matters since the site's launch.
