Nurturing Passion for Graphic Design

Victoriya Titova, born in Uzbekistan and raised in Malaysia, enrolled in IACT College as a Graphic Design student in 2014. “I wanted a Graphic Design course that was different from the rest – one that not only sharpened my art and design skills, but also enhanced my conceptualisation skills. Some friends recommended IACT College, so here I am,” she said. Since then, Titova has won industry awards, aced competitions and impressed her lecturers and industry professionals.

Lim Yi Shien, another Graphic Design student from IACT College, shared, “When you enrol in a college founded by the creative industry, it is only natural that what we are taught is relevant to the work we do in the future.“We are trained to not only produce pretty artworks, but also designs that are practical and functional.”

Both these Diploma in Graphic Design students will be continuing their journey with IACT College under the 3+0 UK degree programme BA (Hons) in Advertising Design, a partnership between the creative communication specialist college and University of Sunderland. As a pioneer in Project-Based Learning methodology, IACT College believes in nurturing students’ creativity without losing their individuality. Graphic Design Programme Leader Queenie Yaw says, “We make it a point to bring in real clients and project briefs from the industry, as we believe students learn best when they are ‘on the job’. “Even lecturers benefit from working closely with the industry, as they remain relevant.”

In the past two years, Graphic Design students have worked on industry projects for big names such as Genting Malaysia Bhd, AIA Bhd, Nestle Products Sdn Bhd, PepsiCo Malaysia Sdn Bhd and even Malaysia Fashion Week. Having been founded by the industry itself, IACT College understands the need for the right kind of talent. IACT College lecturers have an average of 12 years of industry experience. Lim said, “Lecturers who are also industry practitioners give us the confidence we need when it comes to coping with our employers. After my Diploma, I had the privilege of working in an advertising agency whose creative department was run by an IACT alumni. “Also, it is true that IACT graduates are preferred as I got an offer on the spot. Industry leaders tend to believe in the job-ready philosophy of IACT College.”

Besides being highly employable and job-ready, IACT College students are no stranger to industry awards and competitions too. The college empowers students to submit entries to industry awards as well as competitions by big brands such as Nando’s, Faber-Castell, Daikin and Khind. This kind of encouragement allows students to put their works to the test and help them do better. “A competitive spirit is what keeps good designers on their toes,” says Yaw, adding that she believes in driving her students to take that extra step. “Joining competitions builds the passion within each student, giving them the extra edge while pursuing their diploma.

“It also teaches them to work creatively around a given brief, adhere to strict deadlines and prepare for industry standards.” To date, IACT College students have won over 60 industry awards in the past five years from competitions such as the Kancil Award, Shell Fuel Save Challenge as well as the United Nations Creative Expressions Competition.