Platform | Hertford Regional College - Being able to develop creative skills alongside strong industry insight, helps young people to understand how a career in the creative industries can be more than a dream in the real world.
Hertford Regional College is a local Further Education college offering creative degree level courses at their Ware campus. They operate as a small community within the larger institution, and can give a reassuring start for students who have previously found education challenging. Their courses are at a lower fee than universities, making a much more viable option for study from home students. This makes the courses more accessible to students from families with no previous university background.
Naming. Identity. Messaging. Print. Digital. Motion.
Our brief was to create an identity to help give one voice to the different creative higher education courses. Our naming and messaging activities led to a joint decision between academic and marketing staff to use the name ‘PLATFORM’. They recognised how this could support the positive launchpad of the courses.
We started this project meeting staff and students before COVID-19 pandemic hit, in March 2020. They gave us great insight into why they choose their courses. They brimmed with confidence from the newly gained industry skills, which will help them build careers. A living breathing identity that could be seen outside of the college walls became vital for this small community.
working together industry & local creative courses
The identity needed to reflect the student energy and vibrancy and be robust enough for the students to use and abuse. We were sooo excited to see the new cohort of students using the identity for icebreaker activities, adding their take by making t-shirts and badges to be proud of.
"Gail and Steve questioned both students and course leaders, to understand how they value our courses and how the learning community gives a wider range of young people opportunities."
Liliana Scibetta, Hertford Regional College, Student Champion & Foundation Degree Programme Leader
creative industry skills made real
creative courses making bigger ideas by working together
With exhibitions cancelled and students unable to show off all their hard work, we suggested an online graduate exhibition in the form of a digital magazine.
"In the crazy times of the pandemic GAS flexed their original brief to give staff something positive to focus on, helping provide them with tools and ideas to market their courses to new students remotely."
Sara Towers, Hertford Regional College, Curriculum Area Manager - Art and Design
