Jason Brown had already landed a rewarding job as an IT technician for various local schools in the UK when he began feeling like something was missing. He craved excitement, progression, and a career that would place him “on the frontline” of technology. Determined to explore his options, having studied A Level Graphic Communication and Computer Science, Brown realised that merging both the technical and creative elements of his expertise was the way to go.
At an Open Day talk hosted by Norwich University of the Arts (NUA), he found exactly what he was looking for. A tutor spoke about the BSc (Hons) User Experience Design programme. Brown was sold. “Even better, it was described as a technical course that didn’t require you to do complex maths!” he enthuses.
More importantly, it is a programme that empowers students to make a difference. Like Brown, NUA students learn how to use UX design to help people and create significant positive impact. They go on to become professionals with the know-how to fuse imagination with empathy to ultimately give users hassle-free online experiences. Brown immediately applied, went for an interview, got accepted, quit his job, began preparing to infiltrate an industry with “all eyes on it,” and never looked back.
An NUA education is dynamic. Brown soon learned to help businesses meet their goals and save costs by getting digital experiences right the first time around. With the NUA experience, he evolved into a professional capable of immediately adding value, well before graduating.
In 2018, he took on an internship at Earthware, designing, building, and testing a chatbot for cancer patients. Later that year, he spent four months working at The User Story, a local UX agency. “With my work placements, course content and NUA industry links – I feel, as students, we are sought after by employers looking for experience in the field as well as overall UX knowledge,” he explains.
Brown’s right. There are many reasons why employers love NUA creatives. Start with the fact that they are trained by an impressive lineup of experts who double as faculty members. Their excellence is proven through a long list of accolades. Alongside students, educators have been honoured at the the Royal Television Society Craft and Design Awards 2020, the British Journal of Photography International Photography Awards 2020, and more.
Like teachers, like students. Many NUA students follow in the illustrious footsteps of NUA faculty members. Nina Avery, a BA (Hons) Design for Publishing student, landed a cash prize of 1,200 pounds and professional mentorship by winning first place at the Society of Publication Designers (SPD) competition. Team Mischievous, made up of BA (Hons) Games Art and Design and BA (Hons) Animation students, won the Ukie Student Game Jam. BA (Hons) Graphic Design graduates Ben Chamberlain, Ethan Brown and Ella Flood have won a Gold Pentaward for their collaborative packing project.
While these achievements are bound to look stellar on CVs, an NUA background speaks volumes on its own. Located in the urban city of Norwich, UK, with over 170 years of experience, this university was rated Gold in the Teaching Excellence Framework for providing outstanding teaching in arts, design, architecture, and media.
Last year, it was rated second in the world for Design Education Institution by the World Brand Design Society awards. It was ranked in the 2020 Top 50 Creative Media and Entertainment Schools and Colleges in the World by The Rookies — a global recognition based on the quality of student portfolios. This year, the university ranked among the global top 10 in the The Pentawards University League Table, based on the number of awards won by students since 2007.
To get a feel of this award-winning education, check out its 2021 Summer School online workshop series. These sessions are led by NUA alumni, staff, and practising artists – designed to provide an inside look and early exposure to individuals aged 14 and above.
The Summer School will cover a wide range of practices such as architecture, expressive painting, visual storytelling, acting, photography, embroidery, communication, drag artistry, and, of course, UX design.
It covers every angle, discussing far more than just modules and includes personal statements, portfolio-building and more. The best part? NUA provides an official certificate to attendees who have participated in a minimum of six workshops, with completed work from at least three. The educational festivities are set to kick off on July 28, 2021 and will come to a close on Sept. 2, 2021. So what are you waiting for? Make a difference — start by securing your spot here.
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