The first in our six-part series of practical manuals, The Design Student Handbook is your definitive guide to breaking into the design industry – and it's on sale now in the UK and online
Whether you’re thinking about studying design, part-way through a creative course or taking the self-taught route, The Design Student Handbook brings you everything you need to know to get the most out of your course, gain that essential real-world experience and hit the ground running when you graduate.
Packed full of pro tips and practical advice, plus plenty of invaluable industry insight, The Design Student Handbook is your essential guide as you journey from the lecture hall to life in the design industry.
Chapters include:
Choose the right route
Survive while studying
Graduation and beyond
Bag that internship
Take on the real world
Self-promo for students
Raise your profile
Essential resources
You can find The Design Student Handbook in WHSmiths in the UK or buy a copy online. Here’s a glimpse of what’s inside:
Spread from chapter one, 'Choose the right route'
Choose the right route Decide which path into the creative industry is right for you with our in-depth guide to all the different options available. Whether you opt to study full-time for a design degree, choose to tailor your portfolio with short or online courses, or take the self-taught route, chapter one brings you everything you need to know to make an informed decision.
Spread from chapter three, 'Graduation and beyond'
Graduation and beyond Get ahead of the crowd with our expert guide to making the most of your final year. While chapter two is packed full of pro tips for getting more from your time as a design student, chapter three covers your last stages of studying. You’ll find top advice on everything from how to shine during your final year show to nailing your first interview.
Spread from chapter five: Take on the real world
Take on the real world
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Find out what your tutor didn’t tell you in chapter five: we bring you invaluable advice for how to price your work as a student or recent gradate, plus how to protect your work and the designer's Holy Grail: what clients really want.
Spread from chapter seven, 'Raise your profile'
Raise your profile As a design student or recent graduate, there are two things you need more than anything else: experience and exposure. Chapter four – ‘Bag that internship’ – brings you everything you need to know to ramp up your experience, while chapter seven is packed with wallet-friendly ways to raise your industry profile. You’ll find out which awards schemes you need to enter – and how to win – plus pro tips for getting into design events on the cheap.
The second in the Computer Arts Presents series, The Freelance Handbook, will be on sale from 28 December 2012. Pick it up from WHSmith in the UK, Barnes & Noble and Books-A-Million in the USA, Chapters in Canada and other retailers worldwide.
