Graphic Design – Macy

Level 3 Graphic Design

From the classroom to the main stage: The Remarkable Success of Macy Beddows

At our College, we often talk about Power Skills and being industry-ready, but few students embody the spirit as vividly as Graphic Design student Macy. In just a short space of time, Macy has bridged the gap between students’ projects and professional stardom, proving that talent paired with a digital-first mindset knows no bounds.

A “Fun Lovin” collaboration

Macy’s Journey into the professional world began where many modern careers do: on social media.

After showcasing her design style on Instagram, she caught the eye of a legendary figure in the music industry- the drummer for the Fun Lovin’ Criminals, Frank Benbini! He saw the artwork she had designed for her own band, The Kostanzas, and asked her to design their new album cover.

Macy was commissioned to design an album cover for the band and their most recent album, ‘A Matter of Time’. Her creative ability transformed a photograph of a street corner in Philadelphia that the band had sent her to work from turned into a visual masterpiece, and that is a testament to her creativity and the technical training she receives from our amazing Graphic Design staff!

‘It took quite a bit of experimentation, so it took me quite a few months to get it done, but in the end it turned out really cool! It was going to be a completely different design at first; it was going to be like a dragon kind of design. 

It’s crazy to think my artwork has been seen by so many people in the world, it’s been to America, Australia and everywhere’.

More than just a designer

Macy isn’t just visualising the music scene; she’s right in the middle of it. In a rare full-circle moment, her own band, The Kostanzas was invited to open for the Fun Lovin’ Criminals during their tour! This dual success as both a visual artist and a performing musician highlights the Power Skills that we encourage – confidence, networking and creativity.

Children’s Capital of Culture

The Children’s Capital of Culture is a celebration designed, delivered, and led by children and young people. Aimed at fostering creativity and local pride.

Macy’s submitted a design to the Children’s Capital of Culture, competing against a wide field of talented young creators. 

Macy’s design won! Further cementing her reputation as one of the most exciting up-and-coming young designers!

‘All of these opportunities have helped me get more experience with things I could be doing in the future. I have come really far, and these opportunities have added something amazing to my portfolio.

The course is brilliant, I love it so much, I have got the best group of friends ever. It has been awesome to get to know people, and the tutors are lovely. It is such a chill environment because there aren’t many of us in the class, and it’s nice and relaxed.’

Our graphic design students gain extensive real-world experience by tackling diverse client projects. Here is a look at some of the projects Macy has built during her time with us:

‘There have been a few different things. We have done a project for Northern Rail, where we had to design posters to help encourage people to visit Yorkshire and seaside towns, so I did one for Scarborough, and the posters are up in Rotherham train station.

We have also completed a brief for the Yorkshire Sculpture Park, where we designed a map for them. We have had a lot of opportunities to go into loads of different types of design like packaging, murals, everything really.’

We are so proud of everything Macy has accomplished during her time with us. Her growth has been incredible, and we can’t wait to see the amazing things she achieves next!

Find out more about Graphic Design courses at Rotherham College.