2024 saw OOTS’s Graphic and UX/UI Designer, Ryan Williams make it through AWARD School’s digital door.
For those not in the know, AWARD School is a 12-week intensive course designed to level up conceptual thinking for advertising across print, social, digital, TV and radio. The aim of the course is to turn aspiring creatives into Art Directors or Copywriters.
Each week students receive a new creative brief, watch a lecture from a leading industry mind, and bring their new ideas to a tutorial to present and gather feedback. By the end of the course, students are expected to upload a portfolio of 10 concepts to be judged by creative professionals.
“We’ve had a few OOTSies in the past do the course, so I was keen to try out” said Ryan “I didn’t get in the first year, but the second time around I was picked”.
“Presenting new work to the group each week was a great opportunity to test what was working and what wasn’t. Seeing how marketers, strategists, and suits from all over Australia approached the same problem was also really interesting.”
AWARD School is about growing your creative mind and process, which can involve a lot of trial-and-error, but it is ultimately rewarding.
“Once I got into the flow the process was really enjoyable. The harder I worked the better the outcome was. Then, once I had presented, the tutors would push me to explore further. This led to even better results.”
“The course is run by creatives who really appreciate what’s needed to build your process for concepting. They also encouraged us to think bigger. No budgets, no time constraints in media or production. It was the ideal scenario, but also scary.”
“Having access to the supportive team at OOTS was a massive boost for me.”
After 11 weeks it was crunch time, with students having to commit to an idea and create a crafted execution. Typically this is a ‘scamp’ (simple line illustration) with copy explaining the insight and idea behind the concept. Industry professionals judged the work without any context outside of the brief so the best would shine through.
“There were ups and downs, balancing work and my young family was challenging, but ultimately very much worth it. I want to give a massive shout out to my partner Gillian for all her support.”
“Looking back once the dust has settled was fantastic. It was amazing to see how far we had come as a group. The course has given me the tools to level up what I’m working on back at OOTS. It’s not just about a nice font on a nice image, but something out there with emotion that can create impact for the client.”
Ryan Williams (or “Golden Pencil” as he is now known) is a Graphic and UX/UI designer at OOTS.
