Friday 13 January — Introduction Presentations

Posted on 22nd March 2023 by Peter Chadwick

I attended this first online session with participants from all of the groups studying on this years PG Cert. I wasn’t as prepared as I had wanted to be. Without access to moodle I wasn’t fully aware of what was expected of me at this first session. However, it was great to be there, to listen and engage with others embarking on this course. 

Hearing about and seeing evidence on the Collaborate white board, it was reassuring to see that my concerns about not having enough time to properly and effectively engage with this course was a common topic amongst the cohort. In many ways, a relief. I wasn’t alone. Working in breakout groups we had the opportunity to introduce ourselves and our practices. My presentation deck which I hastily put together during the first part of this session is enclosed. It was generally positively received, which was welcome.

There was an extensive range of presentations, work and teaching practices shared. Listening to them, it occurred to me that if I turn up and listen I will for sure learn and be exposed to new ways of teaching and learning. 

I shared insights about my practice, interests and core transferable Graphic Design skills such as: 01, Communication skills that are essential for discussing projects with the clients and colleagues. — Teamwork and collaborating on projects with other graphic design students and other creatives. 02, Time management and delivering a range of creative projects to deadline. 03, Recording research and project development skills. 04, Ability to work independently in order to produce your own work or respond to a brief. 05, Software, digital and analogue skills. 06, Verbally and visually presenting your work.

I also spoke about the importance of London as a resource. A topic that I regularly discuss and encourage the students to consider and engage with — An open-minded approach to the creative possibilities within the subject area is required and emphasis is placed on generating original ideas through a self-critical design process. You will be encouraged to develop design and communication skills through reflective practice. Value is placed on establishing research strategies to enhance learning through an engagement with a wider cultural and historical context, actively encouraging you to utilise London as a valuable context and resource for study.

About Peter Chadwick

Peter Chadwick is an Art Director, Graphic Designer, author and educator. Since graduating from Chelsea School of Art in 1991 with a first class honours degree in graphic design, he has gained over 28 years experience working as an art director and graphic design practitioner. Chadwick has worked with major recording artists including Primal Scream, Beth Orton, Groove Armada, Girls Aloud, Nitin Sawhney, The Rolling Stones. Other clients have included Universal Music, Phaidon, Harvey Nichols, Sony Music, The Washington Post, Barbican and Peabody Housing. Since 2005 he has been involved with academic teaching across all year groups on the BA Graphic Design Communication course at Chelsea College of Arts where he is currently a senior lecturer. He has previously taught at London College of Fashion, London College of Communication and Camberwell College of Arts and was a second year leader at Chelsea College of Arts from 2015 - 2020. His teaching practice encompasses all areas of his design practices and utilises my industry experience. I am particularly interested in themes such as exploring and developing personal practices, importance of rudimentary graphic design skills, art direction, connecting with industry, mentoring, supporting graduates, internships, collaborative and live projects and the culture of the design studio. Chadwick has also curated and organised the BA Graphic Design Communication professional talk series since 2015. He has invited practitioners, studios and writers such as Michael Bierut, Alice Rawsthorn, Stefan Sagmeister, Shona Heath, A Practice for Everyday Life, Anthony Burrill, OKRM, Nelly Ben Hayoun, Patrick Thomas, Astrid Stavro, DIA, Yuri Suzuki and Build to speak and share insights with the students. He regularly speaks about his work at universities and arts organisations. Past talks have been given at the V&A, RIBA, Design Museum, Hay Literary Festival, Brighton University, S1 Art Space Sheffield, Falmouth University, Grafik Letterform Live, IDN Festival Singapore. He has also been interviewed on BBC Radio London and BBC World Service. His work has been published in over 40 books and has been featured in The Guardian, New York Times, Dezeen, Creative Review, It’s Nice That, Design Week, Wired, Blueprint, The Washington Post, El Pais, Icon, Cool Hunting, Monocle, The Observer, The Guardian and been exhibited in the UK, Europe and Asia. Chadwick’s self generated­­­­ project ‘This Brutal House’ was launched on Twitter in 2014 as a platform to share my passion, interests, photography and work about Brutalism, all things concrete and modern. His Twitter and Instagram feeds have amassed over 90,000 followers since being launched in support of this ongoing project. His first book ‘This Brutal World’ was published by Phaidon in 2016 and was voted one of the best architecture books in 2016 by Rowan Moore, architecture critic of The Guardian. Chadwick’s latest book ‘The Town of Tomorrow’ documenting 50 years of Thamesmead, which he conceived, edited and organised funding for was published by Here Press in January 20­­­19.
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