Mearns & Gill sponsor Student Design Initiative Award 2008.



Design for Digital Media students from Gray’s School of Art at The Robert Gordon University have been designing concepts for online promotional presentations for Mearns & Gill, one of Aberdeen’s leading digital media, design, event management and advertising companies. 

The students designed a collection of interactive ‘e-Promos’ to highlight the range of services provided by Mearns and Gill using the web design and animation package Adobe Flash. The student ideas range from an interactive notice board to a digital maze which is negotiated through by a silver ball.

While designing the e-Promo the students were asked to consider tasks such as developing a design brief with the client, carrying out research and investigation and exploring ideas generation using a design process and techniques.

Nine designs were short listed (from over twenty submissions) as finalists to present their idea to Alan Mearns, Mearns and Gill Managing Director, and Graham Tait, Senior Media Designer. All nine 2nd year Bachelor of Design students received £50 of John Lewis Vouchers from Mearns and Gill.

The winning student was Jonny Smith-Campbell (20), from Edinburgh, who designed the notice board submission which demonstrated how Mearns and Gill has evolved throughout 70 years of design consultancy. As well as receiving the John Lewis vouchers, Jonny will have the opportunity to carry out a work placement at Mearns and Gill to fully develop his winning idea.

David Crossen, lecturer and 2nd year coordinator said, ‘the Digital Media course regularly works and collaborates on projects with industry to ensure our students have the key skills required to enter the workplace. We are extremely pleased to be working with Mearns and Gill and hope we can continue this link in the future.’

Mr Tait, Senior Media Designer, Mearns and Gill, said: “What was so encouraging about these presentations was the exceptionally high standard of work which the students produced. Nurturing upcoming talent is so important and we look forward to building on the links with Digital Media, Gray’s School of Art and RGU.”