UG Degree Show Poster

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BSU students design promotional poster for the Undergraduate Degree Show

Thursday, 12 June, 2025

Three BSU students have shaped the visual identity of this year’s Undergraduate Degree Show by designing the official poster. 

Emily Hatherall, Callum Hill, and Alfie Maltby are all third-year students based at Locksbrook Campus – alongside exhibiting at the Degree Show, the trio designed and produced a unique promotional poster to advertise this year’s exhibition. 

The Degree Show is one of the most highly anticipated dates in the University calendar, where students from BSU’s Art and Design courses have the opportunity to showcase their final projects to the public. 

The team responsible for this year’s promotional poster wanted to create a design that both encapsulated Locksbrook Campus and communicated the themes of Locksbrook Unlocked – a collection of courses and events running throughout June that provide a unique opportunity for the public to learn new skills in BSU’s Art and Design spaces. 

Exploring the architecture of the campus itself, the team drew inspiration from the Locksbrook floor plan and used typography to reflect the feel of the campus, functional yet creative. 

Discussing the design concept, Graphic Design student Alfie Maltby said: 

“The specific floor plans used are from the rooms of the courses that are exhibited. To subtly communicate this idea, we included the room numbers within the top left corner of each shape.” 

The team observed multiple elements of the building – from its iconic yellow colour to campus fonts, before creating illustrated shapes from the floorplan and arranging them in a way that visually ‘unlocked’ Locksbrook. 

Reflecting on the benefits of undertaking this project, Graphic Design student Emily Hatherall said: 

“Taking on any project or opportunity available is useful, particularly if it's teamwork-based. It’s always great to build those skills. I find that when I’m involved in projects like these, I learn a valuable amount about communication with clients – which is something you can only learn through experience. It’s useful in building those expectations and preparing for a career in design.” 

As well as designing this year’s poster, the group will also exhibit individual projects to the public alongside their fellow artists, designers, and creatives from across BSU’s Art and Design courses. 

Natasha Kidd, Associate Vice-Provost at BSU worked closely with the design team. Reflecting on the annual tradition of inviting students to create the promotional posters, she said: 

“Each year we work with a group of third-year students from our Graphic Design course on the assets for the Degree Show. There is no better way to support our graduates than with a live brief, and we benefit from their new perspectives and approaches. 

She continued: 

“This year, they used the building's history as a starting point but also responded to our ambition for the design to speak to opening the Art and Design campus.  These are the designers of the future, and I feel lucky to have worked with them as they begin their careers. I wish them every success.” 

You can catch the Undergraduate Degree Show from 14 June until 21 June, with a Private View held on 13 June from 6 pm – 9 pm. Entry is free, with the showcase open each day from 10 am – 6 pm.