Global design award for Gray’s student

A Gray’s School of Art student has won a coveted global design award.

Fourth year student Kasia Serafin (29), who studies communication design, has won a D&AD New Blood Pencil Award for her take on a brief set by department store John Lewis.

The awards scheme, which is open to all students, recent graduates and 18 to 23 year-olds around the world, saw 17 briefs launched this year with a mix of digital, advertising and design projects for entrants to choose from.

Attracted by the John Lewis brief to create a campaign giving customers a window into the brand, Kasia was among 12 winners in that category to receive recognition from the judging panel and will find out what level of Pencil she has received at an awards ceremony in July.

She said: “It still feels very surreal to see my work among the winning entries, knowing that people from all over the world had entered. Getting recognition for my work is great and it means I also get to network with some influential people from the industry which may open doors up for the future.

“The New Blood awards programme is completely tied up with industry - the awards are set by amazing brands, the briefs written by creatives. It is really seen as an industry standard.”

Describing her campaign, Kasia said: “The John Lewis jury was looking for a strong, clear message and an excellent idea that is well crafted and beautifully presented - I tried my hardest to deliver just that.

“The idea behind my design was for the customers to feel as if they’re peeking inside the scene through a pair of binoculars - both regular and night vision. This illustrated display consists of several layers of illustrations, which combine to create an eye-catching dimensional scene.

“Visible from far away, the display makes hurried commuters stop for a closer look inside the window. The longer they look, the more they see. This design reflects the cross-category nature of the brand, as well as the changing shopping habits of its customers.”

Annette Murray, Stage 4 co-ordinator for communication design at Gray’s School of Art, said: “It is a fantastic achievement for Kasia to have gained this level of recognition in such a highly-regarded awards scheme. The D&AD New Blood awards are entered by young designers from around the world and the fact that our students are being highlighted among the best shows the calibre of talent we have at Gray’s.”

To find out more about the D&AD New Blood Awards, visit www.dandad.org

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