ARP Unit: My Research Question 

Posted on 29th January 2024 by Peter Chadwick

Industry Connections: Can existing UAL tools be used effectively within my studio sessions to guide and inform students about areas of employment?

Within this project’s context, I will focus on the Creative Attributes Framework (CAF). 

I embarked on this project intending to develop the artefact that I delivered for the Inclusive Practices Unit. The artefact is; Beyond UAL — A Global Design Directory & Employability Website. It is a proposal for a website, primary purposes of this site will include the advertisement of job opportunities and a design directory database of design practices and practitioners with a focus on countries beyond Europe. The aim of which is to support a large globally diverse student cohort that are often underrepresented in employability and industry sessions that have a UK or European focus. Key to the proposal is how to connect with the UAL community and services provided, including Alumni networks, Knowledge exchange, Diploma for Professional Studies and the Creative Attributes framework. 

During a peer group sharing session at the end of the IP unit, we each discussed our intentions for ARP. It was suggested to me to look into resources including: Creative Shift www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/teaching-and-learning-exchange/academic-enhancement/creative-shift UAL Change Makers www.arts.ac.uk/students/stories/csm-changemakers and Shades Of Noir www.shadesofnoir.org.uk

Creative Shift and the services it provides aligns with my values and teaching practice. However, I made the decision that the development of my IP artefact might be too much to take on with this project and all my other working commitments in mind. Instead, I decided to focus on how I can enhance the delivery of my teaching using a singular mechanism to transform the structure of a project. At this point I wasn’t entirely sure what this should be and how it would look? The decision I made was to think practically, think smaller in order to achieve something tangible and transferrable from this opportunity.

Inspired by feedback from my IP unit tutor Shani-Louise Osei. Shani said, ‘Your artefact shows a thoughtful examination of how we can adapt existing tools to support progression.’ Considering Shani’s feedback, I decided to focus on how I can embed more clearly these tools into my studio Industry sessions at Chelsea. Often, these available support systems are seen as extra-curricular and are overlooked by students. Situating CAF within my industry sessions would help the students inform and structure their journey from academia to the global design industry. And importantly become aware that they have choices and possibilities after graduation.

Creative Attributes Framework: The Creative Attributes Framework (CAF) demonstrates how, through the curriculum, we empower students and graduates to develop ethical and wide ranging qualities, abilities and behaviours to prepare for the future and sustain a rewarding professional life. www.arts.ac.uk/about-ual/teaching-and-learning-exchange/careers-and-employability/creative-attributes-framework

This is a project that aligns with my teaching practice and interests. For further context I have enclosed my profile as follows: 

Chadwick is a Senior Lecturer at UAL Chelsea College of Arts and an Associate Lecturer at UAL London College of Communication and London Metropolitan University. His teaching practice encompasses his many years of experience working within the design industry which he regularly shares within the teaching space, connecting the student experience to industry and developing their awareness of skills required within the design studio, inclusivity with the studio environment and empowering the student on a human scale to help them develop their own autonomous working practices. Underpinning these areas of interest is an empathic approach to teaching to a diverse student cohort across multiple universities and courses. Knowledge exchange, sharing insights and the understanding of soft skills are fundamental to his teaching practice.   

Chadwick has authored two published books that explore his interest in postwar architecture, communities, and the built environment. Self-generating work and developing projects into meaningful outcomes is a constant within Chadwick’s design practice.    

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.
This entry was posted in Uncategorised. Bookmark the permalink.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *