In 2003 I graduated from the Coventry University School of Art and Design with a 2.1 in BA (Hons) Communication, Authoring and Design. The course has unfortunately been deleted as it was under subscribed. At the time, it was one of the very few (and arguably one of the very best) courses in the world that provided a direct academic route to a career in a Technical Communication.
Wayfinding – 2003, BA Communication Authoring and Design final project & dissertation
Having discovered the failings (and the reasons for failure) of the new external signs on Coventry University’s campus in my dissertation (PDF, 154KB), this project served to offer a practical solution. This is how it should have been done. The problems have been addressed and solved. The answer is provided in a ready-to-go sign specification document (PDF, 4.4MB) and information about the running of the project is found in the project report (PDF, 89KB).
Tools used: Adobe Illustrator, Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Acrobat Professional, Microsoft Word
Travel journalism – 2000, BA Communication Authoring and Design first year excercise
The brief was to write a travel writing article (PDF, 23KB) about Coventry, suitable for the Guardian Travel Supplement. On the surface, a challenging brief, writing anything interesting about this city. However, forgetting one’s preconceptions and opening the eyes and mind to those treasures hidden by prejudice reveal real character and a proud history worthy of many column inches.