Digital Design students get the opportunity to present ideas to the BBC as part of course module

GCU Digital Design (Graphic) students got the opportunity to showcase their creative talents to the BBC as part of a UX design module. 

Third year Digital Design (Graphic) students have been working alongside Fourth year Computing students on a UI and UX Design module, tasking them with the job of creating a digital product to be used by the BBC. 

Students were asked to develop an online product which would suit a demographic of people aged 18-24. Once the ideas were created, the students had to then present their concepts virtually to a team of UX designers from the BBC.  

Third year Digital Design students Chloe Doyle, Sam Smith, Hannah Dougan and Boris Bhalo all enjoyed getting the chance to pitch their ideas to such a well-known client. 

Student Chloe Doyle was very grateful to have had the opportunity to present her work to a major client like the BBC. She said: “It felt very rewarding as it's not every day you are presented with an opportunity like this! The whole process was incredibly insightful, and I learned so much about UI&UX design. The pitch itself was very nerve wracking but an amazing experience.” 

She added: “My role was to design a working prototype for a new BBC service that's aim was to attract the 18-24 year old demographic. As this was an individual task, I was responsible for defining and developing a concept. I was then responsible for presenting my idea to the BBC in the form of a video demo which I really enjoyed.  

Chloe has described this experience as being very beneficial in relation to her industry experience. She said: “It has helped me gain more confidence in speaking and presenting to clients, which is incredibly important for when I start working in the industry.  
 
It has also helped me to realise how capable I am and that my work is something I should be proud of. “ 

Digital Design (Graphics) Senior lecturer Dr Mary MacLachlan was very impressed with the work of the students. She said: “It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to work with the BBC and they did an amazing job at creating exciting and innovative product ideas, designed to a professional standard.  
 
We are very proud of our strong links with industry which enable us to provide our students with such valuable experiences.” 

Find out more about the Digital Design course on the GCU website 

By Rachael McAlonan 
 
Got a SCEBE or GSBS story? Email me at Rachael.McAlonan@gcu.ac.uk or connect with me on social media  here