Students from the School of Art and Design St Lucia paid a special visit to the STAR Publishing Company this week as part of an extensive Computer Graphics program at the institution. The program is being run in conjunction with the OECS skills for Inclusive Growth Project and on Friday, February 1 students got a first hand look at the running of a top of the line publishing company—from getting to know the graphic artists to learning about crucial printing aspects.
Speaking to the STAR, Founder and President of the School of Art and Design Signa Greaves-Francis said the purpose of the tour was to give students insight of what was actually done in the industry in the hopes that they would then be able to see how what they were doing in the classroom related on the grander scale of things. “So far the tour has been going good,” she expressed. “We wanted to show them how what they are doing in the classroom will manifest in the industry and this gives them the chance to get out into the working environment.” STAR web manager Danicius Phillpe led an interactive discussion with students as they went along their tour through various departments.
“Basically we showed them all the different aspects, anything you need to be printed from concept to the actual design, putting it together, the output, taking it through the different processes of printing and the finishing,” he explained. “We showed them how for example a flier would get done, how a book would be put together, the different types of binding, gave them tips on graphic design, things to avoid and things to keep in mind with design for everybody—not just for the pressmen, not just for themselves because it’s easy to design something on the screen, think it looks great and when you print it doesn’t look the way you expected it to.” According to Phillipe: “That really is the aim of design. You want to design something and when it’s printed it looks as close to what you see on the screen as possible.”
After the intensive and all encompassing briefing, Ricardo Phillip, a young man who’s been pursuing studies at the School of Art and Design for the past couple months shared his thoughts. “I found the tour very inspiring,” he related. “It showed me more of what is expected and the procedures involved in printing and design and also the fact that there is so much room for growth and the possibility of making this a career.” There’s no better way to truly discover ones proffesional ambitions than to get right down into it—or at least get a first hand glimpse of the efforts ones dream job will require as students found out this week. “I think my ultimate goal or ambition may actually change now,” he said seriously. “I’ve always been interested in the media, another aspect of media but I think the whole aspect of design and printing may actually take me in another direction!”
