London College of Communication graduate Jose Miguel Mendez worked on the illustrations for this year’s UAL Student Welcome Guide as part of The Big Welcome alongside design studio, Studio LP.
Organised by UAL, The Big Welcome is an award-winning campaign that includes arrival activities, events, trips and parties for our new students as well as a handy 2-part guide to help new students settle in and start their creative future with us.
We caught up with Jose to find out more about his illustrations and time at LCC…
What was your inspiration for the brief?
Having spent a year studying at UAL, it really helped me to draw inspiration for all of the scenes featured in the guide – whilst drawing it was like going back in time and remember how I saw myself in those situations. During the year I studied at LCC I used to visit other colleges to see what students from other disciplines were doing, it was like bringing all of those memories to paper.
How did you get involved with the project?
Lauren from Studio LP got in touch with me to see the possibility of working together. She showed me the work that they produced for last year’s Welcome Campaign and I thought it was a fun project to be a part of – it’s been such a great experience working with them.
What is your favourite element of your student guide design and why?
I really love the pink fluorescent that has been used throughout the guides, it really makes the illustrations to stand out!
What does illustrating the UAL student guide mean for you as a UAL and LCC graduate?
It’s a rewarding feeling to bring back something to the place where I studied and grew creatively. London is such a great place to grow as an artist and I hope that these guides somehow will give some positive feeling to new students about how interesting and fun the process of becoming a creative can be.
What are your plans for the future/what projects will you be working on?
My plan is to grow organically as an artist, I want to create large scale works, installations, sculptures and public art. At the moment I’m planning an exhibition in Los Angeles.
Download the The Big Welcome guide here.
- Keep up with Jose on Instagram.
- Check out our full programme of Big Welcome events.
- Keep up-to-date with our news and events on Twitter.