This lecture outlines the Industry Set brief for the Studio Practice module, which tasks students with responding to a live brief set by the National Gallery. The brief centres on the theme of “Intervention,” encouraging students to create a piece of work that engages critically with the Gallery’s collection, space, or audience experience. It emphasises that the project should balance conceptual rigour with visual communication and that students are expected to develop an original and contextually aware creative response that fits within a professional standard of practice.
The lecture reveals that this brief is designed to test both creative thinking and practical execution within a real-world cultural framework. Students are encouraged to consider the role of the designer as an interpreter, activist, or provocateur — someone who can challenge conventions and invite audiences to look at familiar institutions differently. The term “intervention” is deliberately open-ended, meaning that responses can take many forms, from printed or digital media to installations or performance-based work. The emphasis is on how design can shift perception or provoke new dialogue around art, accessibility, or public engagement. The lecture also stresses the importance of research-led practice, with students expected to analyse the chosen context, audience, and medium before producing outcomes.
The main objective of the brief is to develop a creative response that functions as an intervention within the National Gallery’s framework. Students are expected to identify a specific issue, theme, or experience within the gallery that can be reimagined through design. The goal is to propose a meaningful dialogue between contemporary communication design and historical art spaces. Alongside this, students must demonstrate a professional creative process — from concept development and critical research to visual experimentation and final presentation — showing how their project can resonate with both audiences and institutions.
The lecture suggests that students should approach the project using a combination of contextual research, audience insight, and visual exploration. Methods might include on-site or virtual visits to the National Gallery, interviews or surveys with visitors, critical analysis of existing interventions, and experimentation across media. Iteration and feedback are central to the process, as students are expected to document their development through sketchbooks, prototypes, and critical reflection. The methodology should reflect both design thinking and academic enquiry, blending creativity with cultural understanding.
The expected outcome is a resolved design intervention that communicates clearly, challenges convention, and demonstrates professional-level craft. Projects should not only be visually strong but conceptually justified, supported by research and reflection. The results may vary in form — a printed artefact, moving image, interactive experience, or spatial installation — but all should respond directly to the National Gallery’s identity and audience. Successful outcomes will evidence critical engagement, creative risk-taking, and a strong personal voice within the broader cultural context.
The lecture establishes that this Industry Set brief is both a creative and intellectual challenge, inviting students to use design as a form of commentary and connection within a major cultural institution. It reinforces that interventions should be purposeful rather than decorative, grounded in insight and meaning. Ultimately, the project is an opportunity to demonstrate how communication design can influence the way people see and experience art, reflecting the designer’s ability to merge theory, creativity, and social awareness into a cohesive professional practice.