Industrial visitors

Last Monday, the director of the Design Mechanics Dave Pannell along with his employee Craig Burgess came in to the college and gave us a presentation. The last time I was in study we never had a presentation from an outsider, which I found disappointing, so you could say I was looking forward to the visit. From what I have heard its very rare such people visit colleges.

To be honest I was expecting two suited men, a formal presentation, and not a great deal of advice, however, it was quite the opposite. Dave was Craig were casually dressed, the atmosphere was relaxed, and both were more than happy to tell us about their work, explained the running of a design business, and answer plenty of questions, which we all had prepared in advance.

I was quite surprised by the amount of work the Design Mechanics turn over, the cheaper rates they charge, and how varied their work is. At a time when many design businesses are struggling or folding, Dave’s seems to be thriving, so it appears the credit crunch has gone in the his favour.

I found their presentation and advice very helpful, especially when researching, pleasing the clients, and not been so precious about our work, which I have been guilty of, on many occasions. It was great for people with industrial experience to come in and tell us the reality of the design world. This is what my last course lacked in. Hopefully there will be more visitors in the future.