Design Sprint Prize-giving
Hosted by IADT President David Smith, the ceremony honoured the winning teams and celebrated the culmination of this innovative project. The Employers – Oliver, Black Shamrock, Egg VFX, and OSS – were instrumental in the success of the event, generously sponsoring individual badges and contributing to the prize fund. Their presence at the ceremony, with Serena Lawlor representing Oliver, Robert Emerson from Black Shamrock, Davina Gayle for Egg VFX, and Neil Masterson, underscores their commitment to nurturing talent and fostering industry-academia collaboration.
L-R: David Smith President IADT, Serena Lawlor representing Oliver, Robert Emerson from Black Shamrock, Davina Gayle for Egg VFX, and Neil Masterson with Overall Design Winners – Team Egg VFX: Cloda O’ Loughlin, Sophie Hoper, Anastasia De Rosa, Charlize Cruz, Ash Clancy, and Deborah Zebrowska and Neil Masterson.
Recognising excellence
The winners of the IADT Design Sprint were praised for their outstanding contributions:
- Overall Design Winners – Team Egg VFX: Cloda O’ Loughlin, Sophie Hoper, Anastasia De Rosa, Charlize Cruz, Ash Clancy, and Deborah Zebrowska, shared a prize fund of €1,200.
- Karen Harper, representing Team Oliver, was awarded the best IADT Design Sprint speaker.
- Ben Kershaw and Julia Szewczuk – Team Black Shamrock, were recognised for their supporting design.
Empowering students and graduates
The highlight of the ceremony was the launch of six IADT Plus Digital Badges, which were designed as part of the Sprint. These badges, tailored to meet specific needs identified by the partnering employers, will serve as tangible evidence of skills gained through mini-courses, enriching students’ CVs and preparing them for the competitive job market. Yesterday’s launch also involved DkIT and SETU Waterford as they partnered to roll these badges out for their respective student cohorts, thereby fully testing the prototype and the underlying process and methodology which aims to engage students through short digital pathways.
IADT President David Smith said, “These digital badges serve as mechanisms for students and graduates to actively engage with future employers. They enable colleges like IADT to stay ahead of the curve, responding to changes in industry demands, while providing students with opportunities to showcase both their talent and their readiness for transition into the workforce.”
A Commitment to Excellence
Dawn O’Connor, IADT Careers, reiterated, “IADT is steadfast in equipping students with the skills necessary to thrive in today’s competitive job market. Collaborative efforts with employers and the diverse community at IADT will be used to create a library of digital badges tailored to meet industry demands. Looking forward, we are eager to drive this initiative forward, enabling further growth and expansion into the future.”
Rob Emerson, Black Shamrock, commented that the judges were: “flabbergasted” by the level of some skills illustrated, which were, from his perspective, “far beyond even a professional level.”