29 June 2013

Image of Work Experience of a Lifetime

Year 11  LSA student,  and graphic design enthusiast,  Charlie Morton, 16, launched his career with a bang  when his year 11 work experience placement turned into the opportunity of a lifetime.   A local design agency and an international food-product development company gave the budding designer's career a kick-start.

The teenager,  spent a week working as an Office Junior Designer at Preston-based Creative Design Agency, '2am'  . His assignment for the week was to work with one of the company's clients,'Pureety Gourmet Flavours' to develop a packaging concept for their new products,  a range of “Ultimate Casserole Seasonings”.

 John Graham, Creative Director at 2am said, “We try to engineer it so that our Work Experience placements are as near to life as possible. Allowing students to work with a selection of our trusted clients means that they have a genuine experience of working in the Design Industry, from client brief, to concept, right through to completion”.

 Charlie worked with Pureety Gourmet Flavours founder and Managing Director, Gareth Pearson, researching the brand’s existing range of products and how these work on supermarket shelves, before preparing his own concepts. Everyone was blown away with the quality of Charlie’s work, which includes detailed illustrations relating to the corresponding meat flavour. Recognising the youngster’s talent, the packaging  which is developed by Pureety and designed by 2am, features Charlie’s original illustrations.

Gareth Pearson is in the process of taking the products to market and is delighted with the results!  He said "Charlie has captured the Pureety ethos in a nutshell with his illustrations.  Our products are all about inspiration to get creative in the kitchen.   This is exactly what these illustrations provided"

Charlie returned to school with a portfolio of work, genuine industry insight and his first design contract on his CV.  Currently he is in the process of sitting his GCSE examinations as a precursor to continuing his talents at Sixth Form level focusing on Fine Art, Art and Graphic Design.  He said "It was an incredible experience.  I know now that I would love to work in this area eventually.  Being paid for drawing would be amazing!"

Head of Art,  Michael Lonsdale said " Charlie is a gifted and talented artist who has produced some very good work this year and it is great that he has been recognised  and encouraged by people in the workplace.  We wish him well in his future career and thank  those who have given him the opportunity to showcase this talent."