Mass Comm students hold design and layout exhibition at UCSI

KUALA LUMPUR: The Mass Communication students of UCSI University (UCSI) had their chance to reimagine the logos and promotional materials for some of the world’s most iconic brands during a three-day exhibition held on campus grounds.

Aptly named Design and Layout Exhibition (DALE), the exhibition was organised as part of the students’ assignment for the Design and Layout course.

The exhibition featured eight booths of creative work from a broad range of concepts created by the Year 2 students. This includes logos, magazine and menu layouts, digital prints and illustration of charity campaigns and business proposals.

Subject lecturer James Ly said that DALE is not merely an assignment. As it required both creative and critical thinking, it also serves as an avenue for the students to showcase their talent, especially for those who want to embark on careers in the creative industries.

Ly’s liberal approach to education sees him emphasising to his students the importance of an unrelenting thirst for knowledge and dedication towards finding innovative solutions.

  

According to him, the assignment was also purposed to encourage the students to think out of the box as it helps to develop their knowledge of innovative and creative designs.

The students rose to the challenge through the excellent artwork and pitching skills.

From a shoe campaign to help raise awareness of the risk factors associated with hookworm in South Africa to the idea of renting out bicycles to the public as the main form of transportation to diminish air pollution, the business pitches were varied and well presented. 

“These are actual business ideas which are now in practice. What the students are doing now is rebranding and marketing – two of the skills they get to apply. They’ve put in a lot of effort. The quality of the materials and presentation are very good,” said Ly.

According to a Year 2 student Lucas Tan, other skills gained from working on the assignment also included communication, teamwork and collaboration, problem-solving, critical observation and conflict solution.

“We certainly learned a few things from this assignment. From the initial concept and research, moving to agreements and layout and to showcasing it here, teamwork and crisis management plays an important role,” he said.