Former Students Inspire Future Creatives
The Graphic Communication department welcomed back alumni, Lucas Plumridge and Zak Lahlou, who joined students for a lunchtime creative careers talk over pizza.
Students took the opportunity to explore where Graphic Communication A Level can lead, while hearing honest experiences from professionals who once studied in the same classrooms.
Lucas and Zak shared their journeys since college, each taking a very different creative pathway. Zak spoke about the traditional university route, discussing how his degree helped shape his career, the value of a bachelor’s degree in the creative industries, and some of his professional achievements and work since graduating.
Lucas shared his independent pathway into the creative industry, showing a strong entrepreneurial spirit as he talked about developing apps — including his new Golf app — and the importance of collaboration, creativity, and adaptability.
Students heard first-hand the realities of building a career in design, asking questions and hearing honest experiences from both speakers. They were especially interested in the discussion around AI, how it is changing the creative industries, and how designers are adapting and evolving alongside new technologies.
Jose, Graphic Communications A Level teacher, said:
“It is always valuable for creative students to hear from those who were once in their position and have since shaped their own creative paths in different ways. Real examples of progress, challenges, achievements, and personal growth make future opportunities feel more reachable and relatable, while encouraging current students to keep developing creatively or, as I always say to them, to ‘Keep Designing’.”
Both alumni encouraged students to stay curious, take inspiration from a wide range of sources, continue practising their creative skills and to work hard to achieve their goals.
Thank you to both Lucas and Zak for your time and for sharing your own personal experiences and insights.
