UCLan students triumph at prestigious international design awards

Six students from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) have won creative awards at the prestigious D&AD (Design and Art Direction) New Blood Awards 2020 .

The awards, which are open to budding designers around the world, recognise outstanding work in the areas of design and advertising.

Winners receive either a Wood, Graphite, Yellow, White or Black Pencil trophy. The four graphic designers and two advertising students, who worked on a joint project, won a Graphite and four Wood awards.

Among the winners, Preston native Ellie Spickett, picked up a Wooden Pencil for her art direction piece, which tells the time via the sun to indicate ‘Martini Time’.

The 22-year-old final year student, who is a former Our Lady’s Catholic High School and Cardinal Newman College pupil, said: “I was ecstatic when I found out I’d won a D&AD Award as it’s such a prestigious competition for young designers.”

Fellow Wooden Pencil winner David Shorrock, from Longton, responded to the creative brief of designing a fun and convenient food delivery experience for Generation Z with his Save Our Stomachs project.

His idea allows users who have a hangover, unexpected flat gathering or an all-night study session to send a distress signal to their nearest Burger King outlet.

The former Hutton Grammar School and Runshaw College student, 21, said: “It’s something I’ve wanted since college and I used to walk past the wall of previous D&AD winners every day in University and that always motivated me so to finally receive an award is fantastic, I’m incredibly content and looking forward to the future.”

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Second Year student Agatha Blazey, was also awarded a Wooden Pencil, a year ahead of most other winners.

The 21-year-old, whose winning design was for a Rome based bike hire scheme called Roam Bikes, added: “I’m absolutely amazed, I couldn’t believe it! I’m so grateful the course gave the second years the chance to work on these creative briefs.”

As well as the Pencils, several students including Emma Barber, Chunbo Wang, Ran Duan, Sophie Gwilt, YuKun Li and Daniel Nelson, were also presented with Ones to Watch Awards by D&AD New Blood Judges at the event.

Have you been recognised for an outstanding achievement recently? Tell us more in the comments below.