Edinburgh Napier University

Could you please tell us your name and the course you are studying?  

My Name is Lucas Denholm and I am at forth year on the Graphic Design course. 

Could you please tell us about your final year project?  

My final project looks at how we all subconsciously treat objects with a specific gender. So with this, I am looking at type of typography specifically. I am treating typefaces as if they were humans themselves, if they had their own ancestors and they were on their own microorganisms. As a society, we look at specific objects and assign them genders such as masculine and feminine. I have given them almost the same human attributes. When you look at the typefaces you will see the eyes, the shoulders and the legs of the letters. I have looked at them as if they were human themselves and given them that kind of type history.

How do you start with your final project?  

At the start it was done in a way that you change your mind thousand times of what you actually want to do about your final project. And then, you get that 'one idea' and kind of stick with it. I think the whole four year has led up to this one point, the project is quite done up to this one point and it is really rewarding.

Why do you think the Degree Show is important?  

When it comes to the degree show, you see everyone's work. It is such a long span project that it feels very rewarding. It is also something which is good for the portfolio as well to say that you have worked on this whole long project, really intensely researched it and now this is the final project that you produced.

What is the classroom environment like in the lead up to the Degree Show?

Everybody works in the same room and same space and everyone share their ideas. At this point when it gets towards the end, it feels like there is a kind of electricity in the room where everyone's ideas are flowing, students are discussing about what they are doing and designing. So, it gets quite exciting and nerve wracking because at this point everything gets graded. However, everyone is supportive of each other, everyone is really helpful and puts everyone's input into other peoples' projects.

How did your project evolve over time?

At the very start, I knew I wanted to work on something that goes along with gender and have something illustrative. Initially, I thought to myself "What am I doing?" and later when I actually got to that point of this is what I am doing. I shared the whole concept with my course leader and the class and everyone was really supportive of it. Then I realised that yeah, I can do this. I felt that it is a really great project. You may feel a little doubtful about your idea at the start, but when you get that little nugget of an idea it just grows arms and legs and you push it further and further. Week by week, the idea continues to progress further and it gradually becomes this huge project to be shown in the final Degree Show.

How did you feel after your final project was finished?

It was super exciting because I used to think that I want to work for someone else. Then I realised that my project could be progressed even outside of university. I felt that it could be pushed further and it is not limited to just an educational stand point. It could become an exhibition and I could also make a career with it.

How would you compare yourself from first year to now?

When I think of myself on first year compared to now, I didn't even know what a PDF was. I remember that I submitted my first year project with twenty four PNG files. However, when I think of myself now, I can see a lot of growth and I've come on leaps and bounds. When I first applied for Graphic Design, I knew that I wanted to go into something creative but I really could not describe what graphic design was and did not know about all the elements that came along with it. But year after year, even though our education went through the pandemic, the university has been very supportive. We always try our best to try new things. We went to Amsterdam recently as well to attend an exhibition. So, the journey from first year to final year has been really great.

What is your view on the degree show?

Its obviously a great opportunity to show off your work. But I would say its more of a celebration of our four years of work. Its almost like an achievement for us. People might say that the work is looking really pretty and great, but for us its a full on celebration with all the people that have worked hard, spent countless sleepless nights towards these projects. So, its an achievement in itself.

As your course is almost finished, how do you feel about it?

I am super excited after university finishes. Its a real world that you are going. Its super exciting to showcase the works that I have produced over four years, specially this year's project that I have worked so hard to show to everyone including my friends and family members. People who are coming to see your projects might also include people who are working in the industry as well. So its super exciting to show your projects to other people.

What is so exciting about your project?

This point of the year, which is August, is the point that when you get to decide where you will go career wise. So, you have to tailor your project according to that. For example: within my project, all of the work that I am doing is with letters. So, I am creating a lot of illustrations that are made just from letter forms themselves. Its kind of a technique that I haven't seen many people do. So, I am excited to show people the work as this is something quite different and quite new that hasn't been seen before.

What are you expecting once the course finishes?

I am looking forward to the unexpected, something new and working in a place that I am not used to. All the work that we have done in four years and putting that into practice now is super exciting. We will be putting them into the real world and will be just trying to be creative.

How would you summarise your four years at the university?

I would say its been a roller coaster. From first year to second year it goes really slow and you feel that it is fine. Then you get into third year and its a little bit faster. And before you know it, you will find that you are in fourth year and thinking about your final project. That is when the roller coaster goes down and you go full-throttle with your final project.