Top tips to get noticed at your degree show

However good your project is, if it doesn’t photograph well on the stand, it won’t be ‘shareable’. Consider lighting, background and composition when setting up your work. Take pictures with a range of cameras and phones to ensure your set up is photogenic through every lens. 

People generally don’t want to carry these around with them...

Make sure your name, project title, email, Instagram and/ or LinkedIn are printed clearly next to your work, so prospective employers can capture your details.

Talk to as many people as possible and don’t be afraid to ask where they are from: you never know if you’re talking to the press or a potential employer or collaborator!  Try to nail your USP and practice your thirty-second elevator pitch before the show kicks off.

Employers and trend forecasters will generally be in stealth-mode at a degree show. They will be moving swiftly around the show, armed with a camera to take a photograph of your work and your name. Engage them in conversation – we’re ten times more likely to remember a designer if we’ve had a chat!

A standalone pretty picture isn’t enough to tell your project’s story. Consider bringing supportive material, such as your project folio and a range of sketches – from early to refined. This will help you take a prospective employer on a journey through your ideation process and give real insight into what it will be like to work with you. 

A range of varying fidelity prototypes can help to bring your idea to life. A ‘works-like’ mechanical or electrical model demonstrates technical skills, and a ‘looks-like’ appearance model demonstrates an attention to detail. Card, clay and 3D printed prototypes also help to support your design process and any key decisions that were made.