London, UK. 5 February 2024 – Global design house, Frank Stephenson Design, is partnering with The Glasgow School of Art (GSA), an internationally acclaimed university-level institution in Europe for visual creative disciplines.
The unique collaboration will involve GSA students from the Product Design Engineering (PDE) programme, to work closely with the Frank Stephenson Design team to futureproof design techniques and safeguard prospective talent. PDE is a collaborative programme with the University of Glasgow, James Watt School of Engineering.
GSA held an event celebrating the partnership, which saw lecturers, students, stakeholders and the Frank Stephenson Design team interacting within an immersive design seminar to showcase the benefits of sketching, the art of hand drawing and promote a repertoire of sketching skills from brain to hand.
Honouring the new venture, Creative Director Frank Stephenson, gave a speech to the wider GSA community. Giving an overview of his latest ‘Learn to Sketch with Frank’ programme and why, in an era of CAD, AI and graphic design, it’s important to maximise and utilise the pen and paper approach. Frank and Frank Stephenson Design’s Lead Designer, Euan, also gave students a sketching masterclass during their visit to GSA.
‘Learn to Sketch with Frank,’ is an immersive online design course that teaches Frank’s key principles of creative sketching, and blends theory with practical techniques and interactive videos. It was launched by Frank Stephenson at the end of 2023. The course promises to open minds and stimulate creativity, and communicates the invaluable lessons that Frank has garnered over the years.
At the event, Frank introduced his sketching legacy, the ‘Learn to sketch with Frank’ course, and students at GSA took part in a ‘Mars design sprint’.
Craig Whittet, Head of Department PDE, highlighted the value of the collaboration: “What an opportunity for PDE! Working with FSD highlights the value of externalising ideas through sketching and the immediacy that this brings to discussions is critical to the design process. The potential future careers of the students were also explored through discussions with PDE grad and FSD lead designer Euan McPherson. It’s always a proud moment for the dept when we see the difference that our grads make and the experiences that we may well benefit from.”
Creative Director at Frank Stephenson Design, Frank Stephenson, said: “Frank Stephenson Design is thrilled to be teaming up with GSA and working with such talented students on the future of design. Sketching is a core requirement of design, imperative in my industry, and it’s so important to me that the human touch isn’t lost to AI and computers. We’re excited for this opportunity to futureproof design talent and work with such gifted students.”
