Gray's Degree Show, 'Welcome to the real world'
Image by: Gray's Communication Design students, Nicola Lyttle and Cameron Reid

The creative design behind Gray's Degree Show: Welcome to the real world

By Jenny Frost - 19 May 2022

Gray's Degree Show, 'Welcome to the real world' opens on Saturday 11 June. The creatives behind the degree show's visuals, 3rd year Communication Design students, Nicola Lyttle and Cameron Reid, explain the ideas behind the design.

‘Welcome to the real world’ celebrates an eclectic mix of final year projects across painting, contemporary art practice, fashion and textiles, communication design three-dimensional design and photography.

From the very start of the design process for the degree show we have always thought that we should not shy away from the obvious, this is the first physical degree show that Gray's has held in two years. This is a fact that should be highlighted and more importantly celebrated. The return to a physical degree show not only signifies a return to the Gray's we know and love, it highlights our return to the wider physical world.

In our first meeting with Gray's creative unit, Look Again we were given the prompt word 'emergence' to help inspire the design process. This led us down many lines of enquiry however, both of us kept coming back to that feeling of emerging out of an environment wholly dependant on technology. This transformative experience that is so unique for this specific time was a strong theme that united everyone within Gray's. It holds as a visual landmark within the Degree Show timeline.

The visuals encapsulate this theme in a humorous manner, with a strong focus on physical analogue techniques. Many of our assets were created with lower quality prints that have been scanned back in to give them a more physical quality and texture. This echoes a more risographic appearance, emphasised by the simplistic two-tone colour scheme. 

Ultimately, we wanted this event to be a true celebration for everyone involved. We all deserve to celebrate a return to the physical. As our visuals say: Welcome to the real world!

To find out more about the Gray’s End of Year Show visit:

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