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Why industry feedback matters to USW supporting the next generation of creative.

As a creative agency, we believe learning doesn't stop when you leave university. In many ways, that's when it truly begins.

This week, our Creative Director, Gareth Chubb, had the pleasure of taking part in portfolio surgery sessions with third-year BA Graphic Design students at the University of South Wales. The sessions were designed to give students honest, agency-led feedback on their portfolios, helping prepare them for the realities of working in the creative industry.

For us, these sessions are about far more than critiquing work.

They're about sharing experience gained through years of working with global brands, live commercial projects and creative challenges. University provides an outstanding foundation in design thinking and technical skills, but agency feedback helps bridge the gap between education and industry, offering practical insight into what employers and clients are really looking for.

The conversations covered everything from portfolio presentation and storytelling to strategic thinking, branding, typography, user experience and commercial awareness. Often, it's the smallest refinements that can make the biggest difference when competing for that first role.

It was incredibly encouraging to see the standard of work coming from the University of South Wales. The quality of thinking, creativity and execution demonstrated just how much emerging talent is coming through the Welsh creative industry.

Two students who particularly stood out were Aidan Hayes and Bobby Robertson.

Aidan impressed with his combination of strong graphic design fundamentals and thoughtful digital design, demonstrating an ability to balance creativity with functionality. Bobby showcased confident branding work backed by strategic thinking and well-developed concepts, illustrating a mature understanding of how brands communicate.

While every student brought something different to the table, both demonstrated the kind of curiosity, ambition and willingness to learn that agencies value just as highly as technical ability.

We're proud to support initiatives like these because today's students are tomorrow's creative leaders. By opening conversations between education and industry, we can help graduates enter the profession with greater confidence, stronger portfolios and a clearer understanding of the opportunities ahead.

A special thank you goes to Ryan Preece and Stephen Leadbetter, Senior Lecturers in Design, along with the wider team within the University of South Wales's Faculty of Business and Creative Industries. Their continued commitment to nurturing creative talent and inviting industry professionals into the classroom plays an invaluable role in developing the next generation of designers.

We look forward to seeing where these talented students go next, and we hope to continue playing a small part in helping shape the future of our industry.

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