Meet the designer

Meet the designer

The Art and Design Summer Show 2023 is a great opportunity for final year students from the School of Art, Design and Performance to showcase and celebrate their final major projects to family, friends, colleagues, and industry professionals.

The event will be open to the public on our High Wycombe campus from 16 June - 21 June 2023.

Every year a student is selected to design the artwork and graphics for the annual Summer Show. This year, we're delighted to put the spotlight on Megan Hughes, a third year BA (Hons) Graphic Design student, and soon to be graduate.

I am delighted and honoured to have been chosen as this year’s designer. It is such an amazing opportunity and offers invaluable experience to work on a live brief and have the chance to collaborate with the university.
Megan Hughes BA (Hons) Graphic Design student
A headshot of Megan Hughes, the Art and Design Summer Show designer 2023.

Megan's final major project takes inspiration from brutalist art and design and explores how it can be partnered with vibrant, floral imagery to create a blend of juxtaposing textures, and ambiences. As a multi-disciplinary creative with a particular interest in how typography can be utilised within editorial design, Megan wanted this to be a focus within her work.

An open squared book with text which reads "Essential Kit".
An open squared book which has lots of small colourful dots across both pages.

We recently sat down with Megan and asked her a series of questions to reflect on her time here at Buckinghamshire New University, as well as how Megan feels ahead of this years show.

Synopsis of Megan's Final Major Project

Balcony Bliss: The Benefits of Growing Plants in Small Spaces

Gardening can be a therapeutic and enjoyable hobby for those with a garden, it connects us with nature and studies show it can help us to destress and relax. However, for the 5.4million people in the UK living in a flat without access to a garden and plants, it’s not so easy. The reality is that living without ready access to a green space often leaves residents of flats feeling detached from the ground below and this can lead to physical and mental health issues. Having a personal love for the outdoors I feel that it is important for everyone to have access to plants, no matter how little space they have. 

The main concern for many plant-growing novices is not knowing what plants will be suitable for their space and how to look after them. Some books on the subject can be complicated and apps can be ‘too helpful’, taking the fun out of growing. I have designed a book which through a curated combination of easy to follow editorial and interactive information intends to support flat residents, walking them through every step of their growing journey. This includes helping them to identify suitable plants, planning their space and implementing a watering routine. My book encourages the reader to get their hands dirty and utilise the space they have available to create a beautiful balcony oasis.

A square book opened which has text on both pages which reads "What Plants?".
An opened square book. On the left page there are some drawings of plants, and on the right is a calendar on when plants should grow.

What does the summer show mean to you?

The summer show signifies both the end of our time at university and the start of the rest of our lives. It’s an opportunity to celebrate the work we have produced and show off the skills we have learnt. I was inspired by this perspective and wanted to communicate the personal and creative journey we have been on within my show branding.

How does it feel to know your work will be shown to fellow students, staff, family members and industry professionals?

It’s incredibly exciting to know that our work is going to be on display and seen by so many people. Having the opportunity to discuss our work with respected industry professionals is daunting but will offer excellent experience and potentially open doors for career prospects. 

Have you enjoyed your time at BNU and what do you plan on doing once you’ve finished your degree?

I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at BNU and feel as though I have utilised every opportunity I have been given over the last three years. Of course, it hasn’t been easy with our first year disrupted by Covid, but with the help of our tutors, we made the best of it. For me personally, juggling university with a part-time job has been a challenge, but this has helped me to really exercise my time management and prioritisation skills. Having experience working in industry, I am excited to continue to develop my practice and progress within my career.

What do you enjoy about your course?

Having a small class at BNU hugely benefited us students as it allowed for us to have more facetime with our lecturers and have individual feedback sessions which is something that I know is a rarity at universities with larger course numbers. Having this opportunity also meant that we could take advantage of having excellent tutors with invaluable industry experience. I have particularly enjoyed learning different design principles within the likes of typography and information design.

A closed bright pink book with a tower block and flowers as the cover photo. It has text which reads "Blooming Balconies" on.
A page within a book which shows off 23 different designs.
A page in a book which has small circular holes in.
A closed book with the front of the book showing a tower block with the wording "Blooming Balconies".