“Going into the creative industry to be specialised in one area can be useful, but to be specialised and have a deep understanding of multiple disciplines is a true leg-up and something I’m sure I will be grateful for forever.”
Please tell us a bit about your work and your influence?
“I created Public Information posters and animations inspired by a specific series of posters. The outcomes were based on issues within London, but I approached the project with the idea that it could be expanded to other cities. I named the project “Simple Cities” for that reason. The concept was to provide simple yet satirical solutions for the day-to-day problems faced in urban life.”
How have you found your course and what made you choose it?
“When I was picking my course I was looking for something that could teach me multiple skills and take me into the creative field. I was looking at courses such as graphic design and illustration but I was drawn to DDM (Design for Digital Media) because of the focus of digital outcomes, which is an area that I felt I had more confidence. I have found that the course has over achieved what I understood the course to be and has turned me into a confident designer looking forward to accepting my first role in the industry. There is one element about DDM that makes it stand out above other courses and its something I didn’t understand until my third year and that is the fact that it is by far the most diverse and multidisciplinary course that the University of Brighton has to offer. Going into the creative industry to be specialised in one area can be useful, but to be specialised and have a deep understanding of multiple disciplines is a true leg-up and something I’m sure I will be grateful for forever.”
Did you go on a placement? If so could you tell us about it – what were your takeaways?
“I did go on a placement, I worked at a new App start-up that was looking for designers and creatives to take their app concept and market it to the general public. The app encouraged families and friends to be closer and share more memories. So I was focused on trying to drive that type of interaction and engagement with the application. This was my first time working in the industry and so I was undergoing what I now understand to be standard procedure for new creatives, I was learning how to set clear guidelines and timelines whether as a freelance or an inhouse designer. So my biggest takeaway is make to make sure at the start of a process to take all the time needed to set yourself up for greatness and success.”
Was the location of your course in Brighton more important than you thought it would be?
“I go back and forth on whether the physical location had an effect on my time at university, I think the answer to that question is yes. I am grateful for how much I learnt and discovered about myself living and working in a city that is concentrated on accepting people for who they are and helping people discover who they are. I am also grateful that because of where I went to university I have made some great friends on my course and always access to amazing feedback from those friends.”
What are your plans after graduation?
“My plans after graduation are to dive into the design industry as a PR Junior Account Exec or as a designer in the branding space. Those are the fields that I have honed and believe that I would excel the best in and I have poised my portfolio to help me have successful conversations with employers after my graduation is complete.”
If you could give your 16 year old self any advice about going to University what would it be?
“In two words, Own It. wherever you go during your three years at university whoever you meet and whatever challenge you are asked to overcome doing it with the confidence needed will always help, and on the flip side of that having the confidence to say “actually I don’t know” will only push you further in whatever field you end up in. Nobody knows everything, and nobody should ever be expected to know everything and so whether you are being asked for your opinion on what house you should share next year or how you feel about somebody else’s work do it with confidence and you wont go wrong.”
Connect with Joshua on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshuamaxday/
Instagram: @JoshuaDayUK
Portfolio: https://joshuamaxday.myportfolio.com
Find out about studying Visual Communication at Brighton
Watch out for news about the Graduate Summer Show
Follow the Brighton Summer Shows on Instagram
