Finding talent on UAL Showcase: the creative collaborators

In November 2023, Jessica Ball typed the words ‘emotional sustainability’ into Google. The phrase had been central to the dissertation she wrote for her MA Fashion and Environment (now MA Fashion Futures) at London College of Fashion a decade earlier, “looking at how creativity and dialogue can help people better understand themselves, each other, and the world around them,” she says.

Up popped 2023 MA Design for Social Innovation and Sustainable Futures graduate Rijul Narwal’s UAL Showcase page. What stood out, beyond the obvious connection to her interests, were the strong images and “clear, thoughtful explanation of Rijul’s work, with examples that brought it to life. It was exciting and inspiring for me to come across,” says Jessica.

“I immediately thought, this is someone I want to talk to.” Jessica clicked through to Rijul’s LinkedIn profile and messaged her. “Hey, you did your master's on emotional sustainability – so did I! Do you fancy having a chat about it?” When they met, it turned out that Jessica’s dissertation had inspired Rijul’s final project.

Working with clients such as the United Nations Environment Programme and Imperial College London, Jessica’s practice encompasses creative workshop facilitation and dialogue, with a focus on social and climate justice, while Rijul’s centres on co-design. Over coffee, they decided to combine their complementary skillsets. “Rijul was open to working together. When I shared an idea I’d been developing, she said, ‘Ok let’s try it!’”

In April 2024, Jessica invited Rijul to contribute to a session on a course run by the charity Hackney Quest, where Jessica was volunteering at the time. “The course offered young people an introduction to design thinking: what it is, how it works, and how it can be applied. The idea was to equip them with creative problem-solving tools they could use in their own lives or careers,” says Jessica. “I thought it would be great for Rijul to come in and present her work as a real-world example.”

The course organiser was Victoria Betton, founder of the social impact digital agency People&Co, who works in user-centered design for the healthcare sector. Through Victoria, Rijul landed multiple subsequent freelance opportunities supporting projects for NHS software providers, “an invaluable experience as an international student,” says Rijul. “

All of this exposure ultimately led to my current role as a User Researcher in the Care Design Team within the Adult Social Care Directorate, serving Westminster and Kensington and Chelsea councils.”