Former Graphic Design student Téa Hewitt wins prestigious design award

Former Level 3 Graphic Design student Téa Hewitt has used her impressive design skills to win a prestigious D&AD New Blood award, a competition designed for students, graduates and aspiring creatives.

We spoke to Téa, former student of St. Nicholas Catholic High School, to discover more about this fantastic achievement and to find out how she got where she is today:

Why did you originally decide to study Graphic Design at Warrington & Vale Royal College (Winsford campus)?

I originally wanted to go into interior design therefore I was looking at the art course at Warrington & Vale Royal College and attended an open day. While I was there, I was invited to look around the graphic design course. After speaking to some students and tutors I knew that was the course for me.

Can you describe your time at college and what you enjoyed about your course?

I loved my time at the college. The graphic design course taught me everything I needed to know about graphic design before going to university and lots of other important skills. Going to college, learning something completely new and meeting different people really brought me out of my shell. The briefs set were always so creative and fun but also challenging, working on live briefs was the highlight of the actual course as it gave me experience into the industry and working with different clients which I did not expect to gain on a college course. The facilities at the college were great and there was always a positive atmosphere in the class.

How would you describe your college tutors?

Jayne and Ellie were amazing. They always made me feel welcome and gave so much support and advice not only about graphic design but you could go to them about anything. They spent so much time with you making sure that you knew how to use the software and also gave great feedback which meant I could continue developing my work and learn new skills.

Do you feel Warrington & Vale Royal College helped you to get where you are today?

100%! Before going to college I did not expect to go to university but after the first year studying graphic design at college I knew that was going to be my next step. Going to Warrington & Vale Royal College helped me gain so many life skills as well as giving me everything I needed to know about graphic design before attending university.

Can you tell us more about your time at university?

Going to university was a huge step for me. I was very nervous but by having all my skills from college about graphic design really enabled me to adapt to this different environment quickly and comfortably. I learnt more about animation at university and gained some more advanced graphic design skills. I enjoyed the independence of going to university it was definitely a challenge but it has allowed me to learn even more skills and meet new people.

What are your future plans?

Now that I have finished university, I am looking for new experiences in graphic design. I would like to do more freelance work and get a job in the field of graphic design.

Can you tell us all more about your D&AD award?

The live competition I entered was called the D&AD New Blood Awards. This is a competition is specifically for students, graduates and aspiring creatives. They offer a wide range of briefs to complete and I chose a brief set by The Case For Her and Refinery29. Along with a peer I was asked to reposition menopause and highlight how its absence from mainstream media is detrimental to women, trans-men and non-binary people of all ages.

We came up with The Raw Truth a menopause comedy roadshow, this will travel around the United Kingdom to encourage people to talk more about the menopause. Using humour helps humans deal with difficult subjects. So by combining the serious medical side of the menopause, providing support and information through medical experts, with funny personal stories of comedians breaks social stigmas. This will create a more relaxed atmosphere to encourage conversation and inspire confidence, empowerment and positive change around menopause.

I can’t quite believe we were one of the winners, it has not sunk in yet, I am excited to see where this takes my career now. Usually D&AD hold a big ceremony in London but due to the pandemic it will be a digital ceremony in July and there I will find out which colour award I have won.

Do you have any further comments?

To anyone looking into a design or illustration course I would highly recommend graphic design at Warrington and Vale Royal College, the course and tutors are incredible and you will gain so many new skills and experiences, I wouldn’t be where I am today without it.

What a fantastic achievement! Téa has done incredibly well after completing her course at Warrington & Vale Royal College, and her tutors are so proud of how far she has come. There is no doubt that Téa has a very bright future ahead. If Téa‚ story has inspired you to consider a career in graphic design, check out our graphics, games design & media courses.

Read more about the The Raw Truth on the D&AD website.

Check out Téa website here.

Follow Téa graphic design account on Instagram at @teahewitt.