For Hannah Jordan, a degree in industrial design helped to turn a natural flair for illustration and painting into a career in branding and design.
Hannah graduated from the BA (Hons) Industrial Design at BU in 2016. During the course, she completed a year-long placement with En Route International, which specialises in the end-to-end design, development and delivery of tailored, onboard food and service solutions. As the placement came to an end, Hannah was offered the chance to return to a permanent role. She now works as a Designer for En Route, overseeing packaging design and brand creation. Recent projects include working with Nando’s to develop a snacking range for the airline industry.
Hannah said: “When I started the degree in Industrial Design, my strengths were in art and illustration. While much of the course is about Computer Aided Design (CAD), I found that I was able to incorporate my artistic skills and apply them to areas such as design and packaging. The course was also flexible enough that I could combine different skillsets. For example, for my final year project, I designed and made a tea set. Having developed the designs using CAD, I went on to complete a short pottery course so that I could make the tea set and exhibit it.”
The placement with En Route came recommended by BU’s Careers and Employability Team as a good fit for Hannah’s skills. Now, two years after graduating – and having been promoted from Junior Designer to Designer – she hasn’t looked back. Hannah said: “The placement and the degree definitely helped to shape my future career. It also helped me to grow into the person I am today and become much more confident in my abilities.”