Alumna:
Priya
“
I do keep in touch through Instagram and
Facebook, and I still put stuff on Showtime, like
my illustrations and commissioned work.
”
Background
Priya is 25 and completed a BA in Graphic Design Communication at Chelsea in 2013. She chose
Chelsea because she wanted to study design in a college with a strong fine art environment; she wants
to develop a parallel career as a designer and print maker. Since graduating she has freelanced as a print
designer, which allows her to continue with her illustration and fine art work. She has exhibited in several
group shows. She goes to the Chelsea degree shows and attends talks there by visiting artists when she
hears about them.
Goals and ambitions
§§ To have enough design work to be able to earn a living while
developing her career as a fine artist
§§ To acquire further skills, and knowledge to help develop her fine
art career: art-related and business skills
§§ To become a successful, self-employed artist
Expectations of a 21st century arts university
§§ To equip creative students with business knowledge and an
understanding of intellectual property
§§ To provide adequate resources in terms of space and equipment
§§ To focus as much on craft skills and techniques as on the
conceptual and academic side
Thoughts on UAL and
the colleges
“I would like to be part of an active
alumni network, to get news about
what others are doing, to hear
about college and other art events,
and to see postings about
job opportunities.”
Ways of working
§§ She enjoyed her time at Chelsea but in retrospect, she feels that it was great to experiment at
the start, but by year three she could have used more industry briefs to get a feel of real
world requirements
§§ She would like to be invited back to speak to current students about life after university and how
to prepare for it
Student life
She needs to find affordable studio space and would like to be on any forum or network where it might
be advertised. She has started networking through Artquest to find space and exhibition opportunities.
She is also building up a following on Etsy and other online platforms for selling her work.
Information needs
Favourite digital tools
§§ To know where former classmates are and what they’re doing
§§ To network with former classmates and industry contacts
§§ To know about courses or events at UAL that she might be interested in
§§ Alumni emails, although
she would like them
to be targeted to her
location
§§ Showtime
§§ CargoCollective
§§ Process Arts
Resource needs
§§ The option of working with a career advisor or coach, at least within the first
year of graduating
§§ An alumni discount on UAL short courses
§§ Access to UAL libraries, or even studio access
§§ Artist discounts on materials and events
Regularly used
digital tools
Frustrations
§§ Instagram
§§ Facebook
§§ LinkedIn
§§ Lack of studio space and demand on resources leading to queues and delays
§§ Needing to take short courses to learn skills she would like to have learnt on her
degree course
Most valued aspects
of UAL
It would be good if...
§§ The good reputation of
Chelsea and UAL within
the art and design world
“Alumni could hear about talks by visiting artists and industry people,
that we could attend at our former college. I also wish there had been
more intern opportunities. When I left, I felt like I didn’t know enough
about how the industry actually works.”
Quotes from the research
“Courses should include practical skills like making tax returns,
being self-employed and copyright knowledge. There should be
more things like mentoring or coaching, career management kinds
of things.”
“I tried to get in touch with friends through the class page for 2000
but the lists are incomplete and I couldn’t find contact details.”
“I think the Fine Art courses could have more connection with industry.
We know there’s no direct career path, and that’s a decision you make
when you choose the subject, but collaborations with industry could
still be possible, as they are with other courses. Students and tutors
should be more creative with ideas about this. Most of the tutors are
practising artists and have lots of connections.”
About the UAL online
estate personas
These personas are created
through a synthesis of insights
and quotes from workshops and
interviews carried out in May
and June 2015. They do not
represent any single individual,
but aim to convey groups of
similar needs and ambitions
within the UAL community.
Thanks to all of our
research participants.