Year in Review 2025: Work-based learning at Ravensbourne University London

Sony

Project: Sony’s brief asked students to create a short film around the theme of ‘Secrets’.

Outcome: Around 40 Digital Film Production students brought their projects to life using industry-standard equipment provided by Sony. The tech and media giants also provided mentoring and insight into the filmmaking process, from pre-production planning to final edits.

Our students said: “The Sony Film project was an incredible experience that really pushed me as a director. I had the chance to work closely with my team under tight deadlines, and it taught me a lot about leadership, communication, and how to bring a vision to life with limited time and resources. I’ve come away with more confidence and a sharper understanding of how to manage a production from start to finish.”

Vidsy

Project: The Vidsy project invited students to create short-form social media content for global food and drink conglomerate, PepsiCo.

Outcome: 43 of Ravensbourne’s Digital Film Production students took on this life brief. Having been asked to produce three creative pieces each, students explored content creation principles such as trending transitions, platform-native styles and at-home commercial storytelling. All participants were supported by the Vidsy team throughout, who delivered practical guidance on user-generated content (UGC), strategic thinking and responding to client briefs. 

Creative Conscience

Project: Creative Conscience tasked students with designing a campaign or creative concept which addressed a cause they are passionate about.

Outcome: Students took part in this exercise in socially conscious creativity through themes such as Health and Wellbeing, Education and Empowerment, War and Crises, Sustainability and Climate Change. Four sessions saw students mentored through ideation and concept development up to pitching their ideas to peers and industry facilitators. Previous winner of Creative Conscience Award and Ravensbourne student, Paige Langan, joined the final session to share her insights.

Our students said: “Working on the Health and Wellbeing brief with a cybersecurity student was a great chance to approach an important topic from a different perspective. I appreciated being able to use my design and creative thinking skills to promote meaningful change. I liked how the studio was run; it felt professional and supportive, and the tutors were knowledgeable and clearly genuinely cared about the causes and our work.”

Enterprise x Guessworks

Project: Students were asked to develop, refine and pitch a compelling business or freelancing idea. This could be a product, service or concept.

Outcome: As a pilot for delivering enterprise as part of Ravensbourne’s curriculum, this project collaborated with GuessWorks – an entrepreneurship development organisation supporting innovators and changemakers across a variety of industries. Students drew inspiration from real-world start-up culture as they were mentored by business founders and coaches from GuessWorks’ widespread network. The project began with industry insights and 1:1 guidance to strengthen the students’ proposals, before culminating in a live pitch to an expert panel.

Our students said: “I've developed my problem-solving skills by breaking down complex issues into manageable parts. I've also improved my teamwork and communication skills by working with others to achieve common goals. Additionally, I've become more adaptable and efficient in managing my time to meet deadlines.”

JDO Global

Project: Independent strategic brand designers, JDO Global, asked Ravensbourne students to design a concept for a premium bar snack.

Outcome: Students collaborated across a variety of Ravensbourne’s disciplines to design premium bar snack concepts, complete with visual identity, packaging and an immersive brand environment where the product could live. JDO creatives provided rich industry insight, strategic thinking and sector expertise to the students for the duration of the brief.

Our students said: “Doing group projects—especially working with product designers in year two—really opened my eyes to how valuable that is. It pushes you to adapt, compromise, and communicate ideas with people you might not normally work with, which I’ve come to love. This recent project felt totally different to uni ones—it was fast-paced, but with a real emphasis on audience, which we sometimes overlook. It challenged me in a good way, especially in thinking about who you’re designing for, and I think that made the work so much stronger.”

New Wave

Project: Fashion, art and culture publication New Wave Magazine asked students to develop a bold and culturally impactful public or social campaign for a world-class product – either real or imagined.

Outcome: Ravensbourne students used brands such as Trapstar, Corteiz and Apple to inform their responses to the brief, enabling them to create something that resonates with Gen Z audiences and leave a lasting impression on contemporary culture. Each week of the project centred on a different stage of the campaign process and involved mentorship and 1:1 feedback from New Wave Magazine founder Derrick Odafi. The brief culminated in a Dragons’ Den-style pitch session in which students presented their campaigns to a panel of industry experts.

Our students said: “One of the biggest things I took away from this experience was how to work effectively in a fast-paced, creative environment. From organising our photoshoot to editing content and pitching our campaign, I learned how important time management and clear communication are. It felt like a real insight into how the industry works—and gave me a huge boost in confidence.”

Playstation

Project: Sony PlayStation invited students to develop a full brand identity for a fictional game, mirroring real-world processes used by major studios.

Outcomes: Ravensbourne students were given the opportunity to explore the branding process behind video game development alongside graphic designer Chris Margerison, while industry experts provided insight and guidance in areas such as UI design, production and creative direction. Students experienced each element of the games development process, from initial ideation and mood boards to visual identity and final asset production.  

Our students said: “It was the best 4 weeks of my university so far and I hope others get the opportunity in future.”

Formcode

Project: Fashion Design students at Ravensbourne were asked to create an outfit based on one of the following themes: inclusive uniform, a new look for a classic chef’s jacket; or a modular or transformable school uniform.

Meanwhile, Fashion Communication students were tasked with creating a communication campaign for a company or brand that breaks stereotypes around corporate uniforms.

Outcome: Fashion Design participants produced a portfolio consisting of a mood board, a selection of colours and materials, sketches or collages of their chosen outfit and a live verbal presentation. FormCode also provided a formative review and feedback on each student’s portfolio, ensuring that the brief’s respondents received unique industry insight and expertise.

Our students said: “I would like to say that I found the FormCode experience incredibly enriching and inspiring, as it allowed me to explore creative concepts in a fresh and engaging way.”

The industry said: “It was a real pleasure to collaborate with Ravensbourne University on both the Fashion Design and Fashion Communication projects.

With the Fashion Communication course, I saw a strong grasp of visual storytelling and brand strategy. The students brought unique perspectives and developed narratives that felt contemporary and relevant to today’s fashion landscape.

For the Fashion Design course, I was truly impressed by the level of creativity and concept development the students demonstrated.” – Xsenia Kireeva, FormCode founder