Ross County FC adopts design created by students at Inverness College UHI for use as new online matchday programme; the work by the University of the Highlands and Islands' students will be seen when the new digital programme launches later this season
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TALENTED students have been handed a high-profile platform to show off their design skills – after they created Ross County’s new digital match day programme.
The club challenged students in the 2nd year of the University of the Highlands and Islands’ HND Visual Communication programme to come up with a completely fresh design for a new supporters’ programme. The students were also asked to come up with new ideas for content.
Dale Pryde-MacDonald, brand development officer for the club, visited Inverness College UHI on several occasions to work through the brief with students, feedback on their designs and offer his advice on working in the communication industry.
He was so impressed with the students’ work, that one design will now be taken forward as a template for the club’s new digital programme. The club hopes to launch it before the end of the season.
Mr Pryde-MacDonald said: “The journey for some of these students from the first meeting to the final product has been fantastic.
“This project is something we are looking at but we are taking our time as launching a new digital programme comes with expectations that we want to meet for our fans.
“The students have really grown and developed, and we are delighted with the calibre of the final products. As a community club it is important for us to be working in partnership with UHI and this product perfectly shows what we want to achieve.”
Naomi Cameron (20), from Culloden, an HND Visual Communication student, said: “The knowledge we’ve gained and the advice we’ve received has been invaluable and we’re delighted that one of our designs will now be turned into a real product for the club.
“It’s fantastic getting to work with ‘real’ clients, to meet them face to face, to discuss and debate ideas and see the reaction to what you’ve created.”
The collaboration is just one of a number of partnership projects between the college and club. Students studying sports programmes also have access to placement opportunities at the club including in coaching, video analysis and soft tissue therapy.
Inverness College UHI hopes to strengthen this relationship further with the development of new sports facilities at Inverness Campus, which will be used by students across the University of the Highlands and Islands partnership as well as the community. Phase one includes construction of a synthetics sports pitch on campus. For details visit www.inverness.uhi.ac.uk
