Coulsdon Sixth Form College Upper A Level Graphic Design students gained first hand experience of industry design in a visit to Croydon IKEA’s store.
They were able to meet with IKEA’s in-house design team as part of the highly successful Retail Project which includes a tour of the design work around the store, a comprehensive demonstration of the roles of the design team and a chance for the students to get feedback about their own work.
Krina Patel, head of the in-house graphic design team, along with other members of the team, took time out to explain how their roles work to improve the customer experience and maintain the IKEA brand. Based in the IKEA Croydon store, the team has included three past Coulsdon students which made the experience particularly relevant.
Students gathered valuable primary research before having a sketchbook critique with team members, responding well to feedback and receiving advice on how to develop their ideas.
Coulsdon Sixth Form College have worked with the IKEA team for the Retail Project for the last six years. This link, established by Visual Arts teacher Helena Vaughan, has developed over the years to provide graphics students with first hand industry experience.
