Leanne Daphne Goodall - BA (Hons) Communication Design
Leanne, who is from Argyll, has now graduated from RGU’s Gray’s School of Art with a degree in Communication Design and has just been shortlisted for the Penguin Books Student Design Award 2021 and recently won the Scottish Kelpie Illustrator Award 2020 for a children’s book ‘My Scotland’.
Within her book, Hollow, 26-year-old Leanne considers the concept of re-wilding urban environments and giving back to nature. She looks at uncontacted tribes or hidden communities, who continue to live as they would have done thousands of years ago to provide inspiration for the characters and narrative of her story.
The project was recently displayed at Gray’s School of Art’s Digital Degree Show, Onwards, which showcased an exciting and inspiring mix of projects from graduating artists and designers.
Leanne said: “The story for ‘Hollow’ was heavily influenced by the current global issues we face today such as global warming, pollution and over consumption. The project had to appeal and educate young audiences in a fun and engaging way. The aim was to create a plot that could be translated into a story for a game or animation and then presented to potential clients who might want to produce the content on a larger scale.
“Hollow embodies the concept of a living planet and plays with the question of how would we treat our own Earth if we could see it as a living creature instead of a resource? I want people to see the world in a way where we can empathise with it instead of just seeing it as a resource to harvest.
“I’ve always been fascinated with idea of creating worlds and characters that help to stimulate the imagination. My work is heavily inspired by nature, history and mythology and I enjoy finding ways to teach life lessons through these themes and inspire audiences of all types.”
At Grays, Leanne Daphne worked with real clients both locally as well as internationally, even Illustrating a series of ‘Peter Pan’ book covers for the Chinese market. The Communication Design course also encouraged Leanne Daphne to work to live briefs, enabling useful insight to work as a professional.
After graduation, Leanne is being mentored by Floris Books publishers. Her ambition is to work as an illustrator, creating work for agencies as well as producing her own story books that help inspire and educate young audiences in a fun and engaging way.
Leanne Daphne adds: “For anyone looking to follow a career in Graphics, Illustration or Photography, Robert Gordon University is an amazing place to build your skills, gain confidence in your work and be guided by experienced tutors. The campus is beautiful and surrounded by nature which is perfect for inspiring creativity. The staff at RGU are always there to support you through your journey which gives you the best start to reach your goals and aspirations."