Design is the new business degree and WIT’s Visual Communications course has strengths in preparing students for the workplace, Nicole has found
Nicole Mernagh graduated with a BA (Hons) in Design (Visual Communications) from WIT in 2017. We spoke to her at Conferring 2017.
Why did you choose this course?
I went back to college to do this course specifically. I did a foundation course first to determine if it was going to be art or design and then I went down the road of design , so I knew exactly what I wanted.
What skills has the course given you?
Really practical skills and realistic expectations about the industry. What I noticed – because I had a small internship in Dublin during the summer, Waterford graduates are better prepared for the work ethic and pace of the work in terms of deadlines and how quickly things need to be turned over we seem to have a better idea of what’s going to be thrown at us. At the end of the year we had our graduate show and I was awarded an internship in Dublin. I ended up staying there for eight weeks – it was originally for four. That was really good and really beneficial. I started doing some artwork prep for the IDI, and I’m doing that remotely because it’s a volunteer group
What area of design would you like to work in?
Branding.
Any advice for people considering their options?
Design is considered the new business degree. If you look at any industry leaders – Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk all refer to design as a foundation in terms of their education. Even if you’re not sure about what you want to do design is a good option, you’ll always learn something new.
This interview took place during conferrings 2017
SETU Waterford, Cork Road, Waterford City, 
