The lovely Katie Harrison, W+K creative, has added yet another string to her bow – lecturing at St Martins. She writes:

I graduated from Central Saint Martins with a pencil and
sketchbook under my arm and £15,000 debt in my pocket. Five years later and I
am at W+K with a shiny laptop on my desk and my student loan still very much in
full. So when I was invited to go back to Saint Martins to give a lecture on
this journey, I found my opportunity to tell the tale of the “modern maker” and
why there has never been a more exciting time to be one, student loan and all. 

The last year has seen the dawn of content. The realisation
from brands that no longer is a one off “big telly” ad the key to engagement,
but that they can become “channels” showcasing funny, irreverent content to
connect to their audience in intimate and conversational settings.

Technology has given the creation and publication of content
to the masses. But with democracy, there come “cats” and a lot of them. So how
do agencies, as the deliverers of “big” content, apply their knowledge to these
channels and make brilliant, crafted content in a nimble and informed way?

This is where “the modern maker” comes in – artists who can use
their skills to create well-crafted content. When you start to apply cultural
relevance, social context and fast turn around reactions, things start to get
really interesting. Vine, Snapchat even
Screen Capture are the new pencils allowing this expression and the internet is
your sketchbook, open to the world to see.

So, my message to the students? While your loan accumulates,
get that discount at the App Store, download Snapchat and start making.