The stalls were set up, the creative work was prepped, and hundreds of hopeful, expectant virginal young artists and designers were primed to lure in the punters with their fresh new blood.

D &AD have always played a major role each year in providing a stepping-stone for graduates and young creative’s into the world of work.  From product design to digital, illustration to advertising, every creative discipline was on display.

As somewhat of a digital design virgin myself, only one year in and 5 years on from the creativity sapping world of television, I was a little apprehensive as to whether these graduates might have more on me than I might like.

My answer was not conclusive.  Although certain work and colleges shone, a broad spectrum of the work appeared a re-hash of many creative ideas we have seen in our magazines, on billboards and on our screens for sometime now.  

In a world where every child from 5 up understands visual language and brand messaging so intrinsically, how easy is it to break with the mould and create something fresh and new?

Lets start with the positives. In advertising the University of Gloucester had some great work, with ad campaigns, which were both cleverly communicated and delivered with flair. 

Illustration also stood out, with a refreshing move away from simplistic characters to a more considered aesthetic, with craftsmanship at its heart. Leading the charge were Bournemouth University on this front.

As far as graphic design went, it seemed typography was king.  Direct, arresting and clear, the work revealed the ability of typography to deliver messaging in an unfussy, confident and engaging manner.

On the downside there was some quite giggle inducing advertising work (unintentional of course) however, having been guilty of this myself, I will leave it there.

If you want to check out the nice idea D &AD had for the site, click here: http://newblood.dandad.org/