In conversation with: Sam Butler, BA (Hons) Graphic Communication

Sam discusses what it’s like to study BA (Hons) Graphic Communication at Norwich.

About Sam

Hi, my name’s Sam. I’m a graphic designer and illustrator studying (BA) Hons Graphic Communication at Norwich University of the Arts.

Why did you choose to study at Norwich?

I chose to study at Norwich primarily because of it being a dedicated school of arts; the University specialises in creative degrees, meaning that there are better resources, class sizes, contact hours and overall investment in us as students.

Before studying at Norwich, I was at a different university, on a graphic design course. I dropped out of the course because I felt that the teaching content and facilities were not worth my money or time. This led me to becoming rather unhappy at university and I ended up applying to Norwich for the following year. Norwich as a city and Norwich University of the Arts are small, and this is a great attribute. There’s a saying that once you know a few people in Norwich, you know them all. You’ll end up bumping into so many people around town. Norwich has a great community.

What does an average day or week look like?

My average week consists of waking up early, making some lunch and heading into the graphic communication studio space. I try to separate work and leisure spaces to minimise distraction, but also to get as much out of the facilities as possible. On days with tutorials, I’ll be in for 9:30am, so it’s important to keep a proper schedule and not oversleep, which is easily done for me. I end up leaving by 5pm most weekdays. I find that being in all day means that I have the weekend to actually relax, instead of catching up with work. My rule is no university work on weekends or evenings, unless it’s a deadline week.

Most evenings I spend my time climbing, playing squash or getting out on my mountain bike when the days get longer. It’s easy to apply for a student membership at sport centres. On weekends I try and see if there’s any exhibitions going on. The Sainsbury Centre has brilliant displays which are free to get into with my student card.

I have lived in Norwich as a student for two years now, with a 15-minute walk to university. Everywhere you’d want or need to go is walkable and the community around Norwich is friendly and safe.

Talk us through your practice?

Half my family are artists and because of this background some of my design practice is heavily informed by contemporary artists like Ellsworth Kelly and Jean Hélion, who explores colour and form. My favourite piece has to be Ile de France.

I enjoy pushing conceptual ideas. I always try to keep up with the work of design studios and agencies that we are exposed to through guest lectures and tutor recommendations. I love the work of Rob en Robin, a duo from the Netherlands, who blend illustration with witty thinking, pushing the sector using 3D animation to simulate physics.

My favourite project was a brief to design a set of playing cards for the Science Museum. The goal was to portray curiosity and address the inquisitive target audience of the museum, the cards explore the artistic and scientific history of the work of Josef Albers. The card set simplifies a traditional 53 card deck to be presented through shape and colour.

How has your course helped you develop your skills and prepare you for the future?

The content of the BA (Hons) Graphic Communication course gives me confidence in ensuring I’m employable in the current design industry. We are pushed to present interesting ideas in a concise and clear manner, which is what employers are looking for in the industry. Projects are designed to help us explore certain skills such as branding, motion and campaign design. These are all covered throughout years two and three.

How do you make use of the University facilities?

I use and experiment with as many facilities as possible. You’re able to access technical facilities in all the buildings. I have done screen printing and often use the large format printing services from the Design Studio in Guntons Building. I have also used the 3D Workshop to buy material and asked computer numerical control (CNC) to cut it for my projects. Study areas are never overcrowded, technical facilities are always available and you are guaranteed time with tutors to receive support.