Visual Communication

MacKenzie used her observational approach to create the ‘Walk to School’ project. ‘I was interested in the notion that when something becomes familiar it is often ignored,’ she says. Her imagery plays with composition, texture and form. tessamackenzie.com

Today's graphics graduates are faced with the daunting task of finding their feet in a field that has expanded way beyond the tactility of two-dimensional media into a digital realm of virtual space and interactivity.

Writer: Jonathan Bell

An illustrator who believes in translating her life into her imagery, Kolodziey says she usually dances when she’s working. Her collaged pieces use melted plastic, creating a mix of graphics and sculpture. nadinekolodziey.com

‘I read a lot,’ says Ferrol, who mentions Michel Foucault in the same breath as 1980s postmodern design. His geometrically rigorous ‘1984’ project sets out a fictional exhibition, featuring a mix of the past and the present. ricardoferrol.com

Knight’s work taps into the UK’s social disillusionment. His ‘Flags for the Forgotten’ were, he says, ‘designed in direct collaboration with individuals belonging to social groups who have felt continuously marginalised and forgotten about’. will-knight.com

Donne-Davis is inspired by found objects and ‘information which often goes unnoticed’. His screenprint melds aircraft registrations from British Airways’ fleet, creating a graphic and dynamic illustration of its variety of planes. alexdonnedavis.com

Chung’s imagery is built on mathematics, with computer-generated mono-colour images created out of half-tones. Colour is introduced with moiré patterns. ‘Designing with computer code is an intelligible process of imagining forms,’ he says. rca.ac.uk/students/ingee-chung

Grossenbacher’s vividly textured style is perfect for her work on sport visualisations. Citing the fashion of Rei Kawakubo and the art of Gerhard Richter as influences, her series builds ‘a new aesthetic’ code  for sporting design. kathringrossenbacher.ch

Bold tranches of colour and form characterise Abbiss Smith's illsutrations. 'I simply enjoy observing and experiencing things,' he says. His one-off screenprints and digital collages were create to accompany the works of Franz Kafka. tomabbissmithart.com

‘I’m inspired by the contrast of the analogue and the digital,’ says Kozma. His ‘Bartók’ project combines magnetic fields, sound waves and cosmic alignments to create 
a unique way of digitally visualising music. behance.net/danielkozma

‘My work is an attempt to reimagine the familiar,’ says Grundy. His innate curiosity led to the ‘Play’ series, which pushed his college’s technicians and their methods, creating imagery exhibited (and commented upon) in his old primary school. harrygrundy.com

Steindl cites the uncompromising forms of Anish Kapoor and Tadao Ando as creative inspiration. The work of the latter is melded with the theories of Jan Tschichold to create a fictional volume infused with the architect’s approach. felixsteindl.com

Oelmann’s architectural inspiration comes via artist MC Escher, designer Robert Beatty and, of course, Lego. Showing patterns of scale and form in New York tenements, his illustrations intrigue with their crisp  world-building. harryoelmann.tumblr.com

Melcher’s inspiration comes via the Eameses and Experimental Jetset. ‘I admire designers that incorporate writing and education in their practice,’ he says. The ‘Airport’ project reworks the banal Arrivals board into a visual plaything. gabrielmelcher.com

Sci-fi fan Rennie has a long list of influences, from modern manga to his contemporaries. His posters emerged from an anime screening series he organised. ‘The aim was to try to make messes that also kept a strict structure and balance.’ rafrennie.com

‘My work is inspired by everyday life,’ says Wolewinski. Her multimedia ‘Hymn to the Mundane’ project included performances exploring familiarity and subtle disruptions. The resulting book is a database of daily life. carolinewolewinski.info

Stahle uses graphic design to ‘criticise economic and political power’. His ‘Pocket Atlas of In-betweenia’ charts the ‘unclaimed spaces of the world’ – the expanses of ocean between nation states – providing names, flags and coats of arms. knutstahle.com

Inspired by dynamic typography, Eggenhuizen explores the intersection between print and digital media. ‘It’s an attempt at presenting an alternative publication by combining the digital platform with good old printed matter,’ he says. luceggenhuizen.com

Pernoux approaches design like it’s a puzzle, comprised of the various stages from concept to production. ‘They need to be logically put together to be able to be read as a whole,’ he says. These silkscreen posters use varied inks to create layers of information. lorispernoux.fr