Welcome to the November newsletter.
It’s been a month since we last emailed you our newsletter and a lot has been happening here at the National Design Academy, keeping us all busy throughout the month!
Last month we wrote about our highly popular Technical Drawing workshops and how lovely it was to meet so many students face to face.
November has been an exceptionally busy time for us all here at the National Design Academy, one of the many events we have attended this month has been the UCAS conventions in both London and Manchester.
Below we hear from Vicky Arbuthnot, Senior Design Tutor, on how the UCAS conventions went and her personal highlights.
Vicky Arbuthnot
“Promoting the National Design Academy to college leavers is always a fantastic experience. It was wonderful to see the new generation of students so undeniably passionate about design. At both the London and Manchester conventions we were pleasingly inundated with course information requests and delighted to see so many students show a true interest in a career in design. Throughout both conventions we saw high levels of interest for our BA (Hons) Interior Design degree which is the next natural academic step for those who have already successfully completed an A Level in Art and/or Design.”
Thanks to everyone who came, it was wonderful to meet so many passionate budding interior designers!
Student of the Month – Adam Rzeszotalski
“Adam has been chosen for student of the month for his brilliant submission of the furniture and furnishings unit of the diploma. Adam’s furniture design meets the given client brief and is well considered, designed and presented. Adam has also used previous knowledge of space planning from unit 5 to produce a furniture layout for the client that shows development of great CAD skills and acute spatial awareness. Adam’s drawings are to a very high standard and the furniture general arrangement drawing clearly demonstrates the details of the design and consideration of elements such as anthropometrics and ergonomics. Adams word is slick and professional but he still manages to include creative flair and fun in his choice of furniture and accessories for the client making his work interesting and unique.”
Congratulations Adam and well done, keep up the good work!
Date for the Diary: BIID Seminar
Professional Practice Series (2): Project Management and Managing Contracts
There will be a CPD seminar held at RIBA, 66 Portland Place, London W1B 1AD on Thursday 12th December. Everyone is welcome to attend this event; tickets are £125 for BIID members and £165 for non-members and must be purchased prior to the event.
The seminar will be led by Dr Rachel Smart, Design Business Consultant. Rachel will be discussing all the relevant aspects of running an interior design venture, from first conversations with clients to successful completion of the project. For more information and to reserve your ticket online simply visit the BIID website.
KSA INDEX Convention
As we mentioned in October’s newsletter Helen Keighley, Director of Quality and Business, was out in The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, promoting the many courses offered by the National Design Academy. Below we hear from Helen about how the INDEX convention went and the benefits of attending such exhibitions.
Helen Keighley
“This was my first time in the KSA and I was overwhelmed by the friendliness of the people that I met and also the passion that the students hold for interior design. I was lucky enough to meet a whole range of people from undergraduate students to interior designers and many architects. The standard of education is high in the KSA so our Masters in Interior Design offers the perfect next step for many people already working within the industry.
I must also take this opportunity to express my gratitude to Hani Abd Elwarth and Ibrahim Mohammad Aljasem who were invaluable in helping me to promote the National Design Academy on our stand at the Jeddah Centre for Forums and Events. Having both Hani and Ibrahim work alongside me on the stand enabled us to add an extra dimension to the information we provided as not only were they both Arabic speaking but also they are presently studying with us here at the NDA. I feel privileged to have met so many wonderful people at the KSA Index convention and am excited and enthused by their unrivalled passion for design and education.”
Meet the team
This month we’ll be talking to Tony Dowd our I.T Manager who joined the NDA in May this year.
“Having successfully graduated from The University of Derby in 2010 with a BSC in Information Technology I took a job at Derbyshire County Council in Matlock as part of the highly talented Server Management Team. During my time at the County Council I learnt many new processes and was finally able to put my academic knowledge into practice, this job provided me with the perfect opportunity to really hone my I.T. skills whilst working for such a large corporation. After 3 years I moved on to greener pastures and joined the NDA team as the I.T. Manager. I have now been here for just over 5 months and am really enjoying the new challenges and experiences that are sent my way. The support and service that I offer our students can vastly vary, however, in a nutshell, I provide technical support to students coming into tutorial rooms for a workshop or in-studio course as well as assisting with the configuration of student laptops to ensure that they have the correct software installed. I’m here to help with all your I.T. needs so please feel free to pop by my office if you’re ever in the building!”
Welcome to the team Tony, we hope that you are enjoying the new role!
Anthony Rayworth’s Theme of the Month
“This month I have had the absolute pleasure of reading and absorbing the contents of the beautifully illustrated book released last month about the life and work of Alidad. Persian born interior designer, Alidad, is one of the most inventive, rigorous and knowledgeable gentlemen in the design profession and this long-awaited book does not disappoint on any level.
Published by Rizzoli and with text by Sarah Stewart-Smith, the book provides deep insight into the rigorous and demanding world of very high-end, restrained, luxury interiors. Extensive use of quotes and contributions by Alidad himself help to bring the book to life and somehow make it seem the most natural thing in the world.”https://www.nda.ac.uk/news/?id=197
Until next month, Anthony.
