Jess Cooke

Currently studying a Bachelor of Creative Enterprise

What project are you involved with?

I’ve been involved with a number of different parts of the Learning In Action campaign. During semester one I worked on the idea generation process of what this marketing campaign would be. Continuing on to semester two, I helped create the soda flavours which involved a bit research, a lot of brainstorming of flavour combinations/ingredients and then, of course, mixing and creating the flavours themselves. I also worked closely with Abhi to create the brand of the drink itself and illustrations that could be used throughout the different brand options. As a team, we have all done a lot of thinking and development of what the overall experience is at these events to ensure the Think.Do ethos of Unitec comes through every aspect of the campaign

What attracted you to this project?

When Republik came into Unitec during semester one, I saw this as a great opportunity to gain an insight into the advertising/design world. I also wanted to take on a giant challenge that would allow me to transfer my knowledge and skills into different areas of design.

What’s it like working with Unitec on this project?

Working with Unitec on this campaign has been great. It’s allowed me to work with the industry closer and gain further knowledge and insights about working with clients.

You are working with an industry partner Republik, what do you like about working with them?

Republik has been awesome to work with, their door was always open for us to walk on in and get feedback on our designs.

What are the challenges of working on this project?

I would have to say deadlines! They are very close, very hard, and fast. But at the same time, it was great to see that our team was keeping up, even though we are still students. It was just a constant ‘go, go, go’ momentum to smash out multiple briefs at a time.

What’s been the best thing about working on this project?

I have to say creating the drink flavours was really cool. It was something I never thought I’d get to do! Other than that, I would 100% say I really enjoyed working with Abhi on the branding of drink. It gave me a chance to dive into what my true love is: illustration and brand development.

How do students benefit from working on projects like this?

We are deeply immersed in the ‘real world’ of design with this project, it’s an opportunity that is really beneficial as a student to get a ‘sneak peek’ into how fast projects like this really move. I also got to meet plenty of professionals which gives us a chance to put a face to our name for when we graduate and showcase our design skills.

What’s your opinion on the Think.Do ethos of Unitec?

The Think.Do. ethos is something I have consistently experienced at Unitec. I have personally benefited from this way of teaching as I don’t tend to take on information when I am being ‘talked at’. Having a balanced and integrated relationship between theory and practical has kept myself driven to keep on learning, as at the end of the day the only way I am going to get better is by giving it a go and applying the learning myself.

What type of work would you like to be involved with in the future?

I would love to be situated in an illustration-based graphic design studio. That has always been a big goal of mine. However, I really do enjoy brand development and just graphic design in general.

Would you be interested in working for a company like Republik in the future?

Yeah definitely, I’ve really enjoyed working with Republik.