A first-year BA (Hons) Graphic Design student at Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) has weighed in on the final design of a brand-new mascot for Bournemouth Pier attraction, RockReef.
The family-friendly indoor climbing centre, which celebrates its 10th birthday this year, launched a county-wide competition via Dorset’s schools inviting children under 16 to tap into their imaginations and create a unique mascot that embodies the spirit of RockReef.
Over 100 creative and colourful entries were submitted, showcasing the incredible imagination and talent of local young artists. 12-year-old Izabela Kaczynska was named the winner, after careful deliberation by a judging panel that included Violet M. McClean, Curator and Manager at TheGallery at AUB.
“[Izabela's] thoughtful and vibrant mascot design perfectly embodied RockReef’s ethos and was praised for its adventurous spirit and comforting qualities for nervous climbers," says Violet.
“We were delighted to present Izabela with a prize from AUB of a free space on one of our Saturday Art School courses, which are perfect for aspiring young artists, makers, and designers like Izabela. We are very much looking forward to welcoming her on campus soon and seeing what she creates next!”
To prepare the design for its official debut, BA (Hons) Graphic Design student Bennett Roberts worked to finesse the mascot’s final look. Bennett’s expertise helped bring the design to life, while staying true to Izabela’s vision.
“I’m from Bournemouth originally and remember going to birthday parties at RockReef when I was a kid, so it was really fun for me to work on this project," says Bennett. "I was really impressed with Izabela’s design, it was a fantastic starting point, I can’t believe she’s only 12!
“It was a great learning experience for me to work on a live brief, especially so early on into my Graphic Design course. I went with Stephanie Horan, my Course Leader from the Foundation year at AUB who first told me about the competition, to go and visit James, the Group Marketing Manager at RockReef.
“That meeting was really good; I got to hear from James – the client – about what he needed from the final design, what it would be used for, and how it would be used. Then I went off and worked on Izabela’s initial design in line with James’ brief and turned it into something that was market-ready.
“I sent my work to James every Thursday for him to review and for him to give me feedback, I think we went through three or four revisions in total, and I definitely became more confident as the project went on, especially with Adobe Illustrator, and I’m much more comfortable now working on such a big project.
“I loved how collaborative the project was too, and how we all worked together from Izabela’s initial design to me and James working together, through to the final design which I’m really pleased with, it’s amazing seeing it brought to life as this cardboard cutout, and I can’t wait to see it as a proper real-life mascot!”
The winning mascot, along with the top 10 designs, were featured in an exhibition at RockReef, curated by AUB, celebrating the creativity and talent of our local community.
