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RESEARCH METHOD

Communicating with students to understand their present context







9 Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) students from RMIT University participated in a 6-question survey. The aim was to discover broad student expectations of professional practice, their perceived readiness for the transition and what they desire to make the transition a more enjoyable experience.



  1. On a scale of 1 to 5, how prepared are you for practising as a creative professional?

  2. What does being a creative professional mean to you?

  3. How do you anticipate you will practice?

  4. Do you feel connected to a community of creative professionals?

  5. On a scale of 1 to 5, how important is collaboration between creative professionals?

  6. If you had a magic wand and could improve one thing about the transition from study to professional practice, what would it be?


Following the survey, I spoke to a RMIT Communication Design student completing a paid internship at a Melbourne-based studio and offered a part-time contract beginning at the end of the semester. The aim was to uncover how he approached finding employment, any pain points he encountered, and his professional practice experience.