A trip from Johannesburg to Pretoria always feels like stepping into an alternative reality. Not too distant geographically yet the cities seem worlds apart. October always makes the differences more apparent as the less frenetic streets of Pretoria are vividly purple with jacarandas.
Flow’s Jo’burg design team ventured into this foreign territory recently as we visited the Information Design student exhibition at Tukkies. In need of some creative inspiration (and a change of pace) we tore ourselves away from a hectic work load and looming deadlines to go and see what young designers on the other side of the boerewors curtain were producing.
Pretoria University has always prided itself on the quality of the student work in the Information Design department. Annual exhibitions have usually proved that this is warranted. This is a tough course that requires a range of skills (manual as well as digital and conceptual) and a great work ethic. First-year to Honours-level work is displayed and it is always interesting to see the growth from junior to senior years.
This year was no exception as the amount, range and quality of work was impressive. Unusually, it was some of the more junior year work that caught our attention with names that will be interesting to watch out for in years to come.
The feeling of being in an alternative reality was somewhat reinforced by the briefs and proposed solutions that we saw on display. Whilst it has to be acknowledged that students need creative space and latitude to develop their skills, there is quite a big disconnect between student projects and real-life design challenges. Minor issues such as realistic amounts of content on websites, cost factors inherent in printing books with masses of unutilised space, and the practical implications of mass-produced packaging design that require hand assembly. Great portfolio pieces perhaps but somewhat divorced from the reality of working design in tough financial times.
A journey back under the terrifying Gautrain bridge structures and traffic in Midrand to the familiarity of Jo’burg and the Flow studio reality. Back to the real demands of real clients in need of real solutions – but with a bit of Pretoria inspiration (and maybe a bit of a colour overdose on the purple front!)