Jason Livingstone

I'm one of the lucky few who can say they got a position even before graduation! I work at Ted Baker, and so far I’ve jumped straight in at the deep end designing concessions and pop-up events for the company. Concession design is anything ‘Ted’ you see inside a department store like Selfridges or John Lewis.

I’ve been working on projects in the UK, Spain, France, Ukraine and Germany designing a range of store designs. As part of the job role, each designer is the project manager for their project – from concept to installation to the final details of props/styling onsite.

As a Ted designer, I have to be able to manage a number of projects at once, while communicating with suppliers, builders and department stores. I’m lucky to have had such an incredible start to my career.

Solent helped by providing first class teaching, access to state of the art equipment and technology, and real world experiences throughout the degree. My best memory was the moment I handed in my final major project along with my other classmates. The accumulation of three years’ worth of projects, essays and presentations, alongside laughter, tears and friendship. It was a huge achievement for me, as someone who struggled with education throughout my life.

My advice on getting into the industry? Pick the right degree for you, a course that fits your needs, personality and interests. Without a fundamental understanding of the industry and a solid degree course I think it would be difficult to gain access to the industry and sustain a long career. Passion is something you can’t fake – you have to absolutely love it. For anyone truly interested in the field, it will come naturally.