Festive illustrations by º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ students selected for the Vice-Chancellor’s Christmas card

Three students from the School of Design and Creative Arts have won a competition for their designs to be used as Christmas cards from the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nick Jennings.

Creative Arts students from the University were set a brief to design his Christmas card. The brief required students to produce something festive, which also clearly represented the University and at least one of its strategic themes: Sport, Health and Wellbeing; Vibrant and Inclusive Communities; Climate Change and Net Zero.

There were 21 submissions altogether and the Vice-Chancellor selected three designs which have now been printed by Creative and Print Services.

He commented:

“I was incredibly impressed by the quality of the entries for the student Christmas card competition. We have such a creative and talented student body, and it will be an honour to showcase their work through my personal and professional network.”

The winners were as follows:

Ewa Jablonska (Graphic Communication and Illustration, third-year student)

“Designing my Christmas card, I intended to depict º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ as a place where everyone has the opportunity to get involved, regardless of ability or interest. I wanted to show º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ’s spirit by turning Christmas baubles into balls that represent the variety of incredible sporting opportunities available for º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ students. They create a whole, a Christmas tree, and a welcoming community. The colours I used, purple and gold, are associated with º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ and the festive period. To increase the tactility and engagement with the Christmas card I used the embossed effect and textured types of paper which also allowed me to create a unique atmosphere.”

Image from left to right: Designs by Myles Coomber and Ewa Jablonska

Myles Coomber (Industrial Design, first-year student)

“I created my Christmas card using a combination of hand-drawn stippling (individual dots), as well as digital colour after scanning it in. The colour helps to highlight the artificial heat sources escaping and disrupting the natural, cold climate – almost like a heat map. The sky is also accentuated with colour, helping to represent the heat trapped within the atmosphere. I aimed to create something that could be perceived as a traditional Christmas card, but at closer scrutiny revealed the themes of climate change and the struggle to achieve net zero – much like how evidence of climate change often goes unnoticed in our everyday life.”

Katie Pearson (Graphic Communication and Illustration, third-year student)

“This design was inspired by climate change by trying to visualise polar bears (as one of the most impacted animals) being able to thrive in their natural environment, combined with the positive impact of planting trees to help combat these issues. It aims to be in the context of a winter wonderland version of º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ, to represent the University's sustainability efforts towards this ideal world, as well as the cheerful atmosphere and sense of community across the campus, especially in the wintery festive season!”

I‌mage: Design by Katie Pearson

Each winner received £200.

If you’re looking for festive º¬Ðß²ÝÊÓƵ-themed cards, wrapping paper or gift tags, check out the Creative and Print Services Christmas shop.