Nurturing the Talent of the Next Generation: Becoming a Teacher at Loughborough University

In the dynamic landscape of digital marketing, staying ahead requires not only industry expertise but also a commitment to passing on knowledge to the next generation. As a Loughborough University graduate, our very own Miranda was asked to teach and support the delivery of the Professional Collaboration in Graphic Design module for Second Year students. We supported her wholeheartedly on this journey, agreeing to flexible working to encourage her professional growth.

In this article, Miranda delves into the insights gained and lessons learned from her unique experience.

About the Professional Collaboration Project

The professional collaboration module, gives Loughborough students the opportunity to explore how to work as a team, to produce a considered and thoughtful response to the brief. It allows students to explore leadership and project management, aligning the cogs of co-production and communication. The students are split into groups of 5, each assigning an art director for their group. The brief is to create an illustrated and visually considered interpretation of sections of the book Alice Through The Looking Glass.

Unlocking Academic Horizons

Teaching at Loughborough University provided an invaluable opportunity to engage with aspiring minds, eager to explore the professionalism required in industry to deliver design strategies. I was keen to push the boundaries of the students, opening up new feedback methods, project management tools and guidance to broaden their experience.

Interactive Learning: A Two-Way Street

The classroom setting proved to be an interactive learning experience. Engaging with diverse perspectives and fresh ideas enabled an exchange of considerations, challenging my own approach to projects. This enhanced my ability to facilitate critical thinking, evaluating each other’s work and ask questions to get the students thinking about different angles, ideas and interpretations of the brief.

Agility in Teaching

Much like students, clients often have a desire to learn and understand the industry so that they can get more out of the information, strategies and reporting we deliver to them. Navigating through varied teaching methodologies, from traditional lectures to workshops and collaborative projects, highlighted the need for agility in conveying complex concepts effectively.

Target audience and relevance

Within every student project, I was keen to push the importance of customer profiling, understanding that the answer to strategy lies within them. When we consider design and marketing, Unity places importance on target audience behaviours, thoughts and feelings, creating touchpoints that are directly influential to our client’s customer persona. Every advertisement, article and graphic we create, considers positively influencing customer behaviour. And this sharp focus proved invaluable to the students and improved the strength of the outcomes of each project.

Female Leadership

I believe it is crucial for any young person to feel anything is possible to them. I am lucky to have been surrounded by influential female leaders throughout my time in industry and endeavour to provide the same support to the generation that follows my own. Through my teaching, I emphasise the importance of diverse perspectives and the unique strengths that women bring to leadership roles. 50% of the Art Directors in my student groups are women and have provided clear direction to the groups they manage. By showcasing successful female leaders as role models and discussing the significance of diverse leadership styles, I aspire to contribute to a future where gender equality in leadership is not only acknowledged but actively pursued.

What’s next?

The opportunity has not only enabled me to help students to explore their project management skills, they too have taught me some very valuable lessons.

1. Preparation is key: building a framework for your lesson and an objective of the learning outcome or task gives you a boost of clarity to guide and navigate the students through the challenges the session presents.
2. Confidence will grow: Honestly, my first session was terrifying; the butterflies were immeasurable! But the glow you get after the session, knowing you achieved something that was daunting, boosts your sense of achievement.
3. Facilitation is better than giving the answer: Asking the students questions to help them get to the answer rather than directly communicating the solution, supports their learning and self confidence. It gives them time to reflect on the situation at hand and explore different avenues, using their intuition to know what is right.

I look forward to continuing to support the undergraduate students at Loughborough University and am excited for the journey ahead!

Ready to nurture your brand’s true potential?

Just like shaping the next generation of talent, building a successful digital footprint requires the right guidance, strategy, and expertise. Get in touch with Unity if you want to elevate your marketing and set your business up for long-term growth. We will show you how data-driven insights and a forward-thinking digital strategy can help your brand achieve measurable results.

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