Danielle Pooley

Why did you choose Northumbria School of Design, and what did you know about us before you applied?

I attended an Open Day and was really impressed with the building itself. A spacious and light environment is always healthy when studying, especially when studying a creative subject as it helps with the creative juices! I actually contacted Fashion Communication Programme Leader, Sarah McDonnell, before applying to the course to find out whether the course would be suited to my abilities and interests. I knew Northumbria had a reputation for its Fashion Department, however I didn't know that much about the School of Design itself.

What do you most like about Newcastle, and how do you find the city?

Liking Newcastle would be an understatement, I have fallen in love with this city, it is an amazing place to live and study. As a country girl, I didn't want to be in a bustling city like London, but I also wanted to be in a place where there was always something happening, Newcastle has the balance just right. The Newcastle Quayside is a favourite of mine, at day and night, it's a place to escape a busy work schedule.

How do you find the cost of living in Newcastle?

The cost of living in Newcastle is just right for me. There are plenty of supermarkets in and around the city centre to cater to all budgets, and I always come home after a night out knowing that I haven't broken the bank.

Did you find the Design School welcoming? 

The School of Design was very welcoming.

How do you find your tutors and the staff within the School?

The tutors, whether they teach you or not will always try and help out, and the technicians can't do enough for you, especially Vicky and Craig with the Photographic Studio and Printing.

What are the facilities like?

The facilities are fantastic. There are computers everywhere, both Mac's and PC's, with up to date software. The most useful facility in the Design Building has to be the Studio, and the photographic equipment, which I have utilised pretty much every term.

What do you like most about the School of Design? 

I don't think I could pinpoint a specific aspect of the Design Building, as I feel that the building, the creative environment, the facilities and the staff all make up an encouraging atmosphere.

Tell me a bit about your course? 

Fashion Communication encompasses a variety of topic area's including Brand Design, Events Management, Trend Forecasting, Magazine Production, Public Relations, Visual Merchandising and more. Due to the fact that the course is so varied, we get a taste of everything, and can easily adapt the skills we learn to other subjects.

If you had to pick an object to represent your course, what would it be and why?

Hmmm, an object which would sum up my course would have to be Wallpaper* Magazine, the August 2010 'Handmade' Issue. To begin with, Wallpaper* includes different areas within design, including Fashion, Products, Architecture etc. This specific issue uses different paper stocks for each subject area, for example, Fashion features are printed on a glossy paper, thus communicating each area in a different way.

What are the most valuable lessons you have learnt to date during your time with us?

The most valuable lessons I have learnt while at Northumbria University are varied. Team work has become imperative with this course, alongside peer feedback on my own work, as bouncing ideas off of each other has been helpful on more than one occasion. It took me until my final year to realise that my work life balance was really important to my wellbeing. I now find that taking a day off each week to just relax has made me more productive and focused when doing work. Utilising the networks through your peers, tutors and professionals is not an aspect which students tend to think of, but it can be your gateway to work experience and your career.

If you had 3 words to sum up your time with us what would they be?

Challenging, Rewarding, Character-building

If you could offer some advice to students thinking of coming to study here what would you say?

For prospective students, the advice I would offer is, don't spend all of your time working and not playing at all, you're young, enjoy it. But when you are working, maximise your time and the resources available to achieve your goals. Don't be afraid to ask for help, tutors, students and technicians will be more than happy to help. Get out and about Newcastle, it's amazing where inspiration can come from when you lose yourself in this city.

What are your plans now and for the future?

My plans at the moment are to try and get the degree grade that I've wanted since I started. In terms of the future, I have passion in so many different areas that I would quite like to work in a variety of creative areas, however I have got my sights set on working for Nike!