Our third year students have come to the end of their degree here in Bristol. Each year, final year students work collaboratively to generate content, edit and design a collective publication around a theme they decide is important. We then launch it in the city and send it out to our design network, distributing at the degree show, D&AD and at design events through out the year. This year, students worked closely with designer Lauren Davies (https://designed-ecology.com) our Programme Support Assistant and with Senior Lecturer and designer Marco Ugolini  (https://www.jesuismonreve.org/ & https://www.objectif.co.uk/).

So, we would like to introduce you to the end of year publication for 2020; ‘C.E.O.s* (*Community Evolution Optimists)’, which launched this week, including the website www.futureceos.co.uk and 2000 printed publications. The website includes links to every graduating students’ online portfolio and we hope you will take the time to look at some of the exciting work produced by designers on the course this year.

“The process we went through to complete the book was such an important part of our development as practitioners. We learnt to navigate teamwork, sharing and listening to ideas, collaborating on a large scale and ultimately experiencing a project from the outset, until the moment you are holding the final product in your hand. I think it was enlightening for all of us to experience that process from beginning to end, so we could truly understand what it takes to produce something that we could all be proud of as a collective. 

We began with a few zine workshops and making workshops, based around the themes of Solastalgia, climate-based media narratives and speculative, climate-focused future scenarios. This stemmed from a report evidencing that the Arnolfini, the building in which the Graphic Design studios sit, would be 50cm underwater by the year 2050. 

Being situated in a place that has a strong environmentally engaged community (Bristol), we thought it might be interesting to speak with local residents of all ages about their hopes, thoughts and fears for the future, through the lens of the climate crisis. By speculating on potential climate futures here in Bristol, we sought to engage those groups disenfranchised by current 24/7 media cycles, to think differently and engage in community focused conversations, debates and action around climate issues.” – Lauren Davies, Publication Director