‘Real Jobs’

James Lloyd

Typography & Graphic Communication at Reading has specialised in publications design for over 50 years. Most of our staff have designed their share of books, and enjoy the practice. It’s a pleasure to be able to pass on many of the deeper skills that only rear their head on live briefs, and simply can’t be taught in a classroom environment. We get the chance to share knowledge with our students at moments of maximum receptivity, as the clock ticks and they start to piece together the logic underpinning what they have learned about design up to that point. We’re very focused on achieving solutions that work for readers, and we try to give students the knowledge and confidence to make designs based on that primary principle.

Our scheme aims to empower students, offering them more responsibility than they experience on a traditional taught project, but without letting them feel completely out of their depth. They are supervised by at least three members of staff (focused on design, project management and print production), but we make sure that the real stakeholders are their client, their end users, and themselves.

The feeling of being ‘published’ has special significance for an author, but this shine rubs off on designers too, especially in their early career. We make sure that students know that bringing a complete book to a job interview carries weight. Employers in the publishing industry recognise the importance of gaining ‘real life’ experience in design and publishing during university study: John Anderson, a graduate of the University and a veteran of ‘Real Jobs’, now Executive Creator Director of ‘Comprend – Digital Corporate Communications’, notes: ‘Knowing a candidate has gone through a real project makes them more employable (less time onboarding and getting match fit, more trust).’

Of her work on Second Sight, and its benefits in terms of her employment after graduation, June Lin adds: ‘Second Sight was a significant project in my portfolio because it showcased my attention to typographic details. This was important because my current employer appreciates typographic detailing and was looking for someone who shares the same values’ (January 2020).

For further information about ‘Real Jobs’ and the Department of Typography and Graphic Communication at the University of Reading, visit the Real Jobs site

To read the blogpost written about the A Room of Our Own project, click here.