This was a really enjoyable session. We did a talent hub last year too but I was much more of a passenger then — I didn't really know who I was talking to or what questions to ask. This time felt different. I had a really good conversation with Rachel from Big Motiv that felt genuinely level, like two people in the industry talking rather than a student being assessed. Having some real project experience behind me made a noticeable difference in how I could carry that kind of conversation.
The most interesting conversation of the day was with a designer at Big and Bold about placement students. He was asking questions about the process — whether students are paid, whether they're full or part time, whether there would be interest. It felt like a natural role to step into as someone who's just been through it. I gave him what I knew and offered to ask around. That kind of bridge between peers and industry is something I want to keep building.
Kezie's talk was about thinking about design more broadly — not just as a professional practice but as a lens on the world. This is something I do actively and benefit from, so it was affirming to hear it framed that way. I find myself applying design thinking constantly outside of studio — in architecture, urban planning, infrastructure, the layout of cities. Urban design has become a genuine obsession and it's something I'm considering as a direction for my final year project. The intersection of interaction design and the built environment feels like genuinely unexplored territory for me
The day closed with a panel from Big Motive, Liberty IT, and EverQuote. The questions from peers were good — particularly around what stands out in portfolios and how these organisations are navigating the new tooling landscape. It's always grounding to hear from people actually in practice. The pace of change feels less overwhelming when people working inside it are also just figuring it out as they go.
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The talent hub was a genuinely energising day and the kind of thing that's hard to replicate in a classroom. The conversation with Rachel from Big Motive confirmed something I've been feeling — that having real project experience behind you changes the quality of industry conversations you can have. The Big and Bold exchange about placements was unexpected but satisfying. Being able to act as a bridge between peers and a studio felt like a small but real sign of progress. Kezie's talk affirmed the value of thinking about design beyond the screen, which is something I do instinctively but rarely articulate. The panel at the end rounded the day off well — hearing practitioners talk honestly about navigating the pace of change made the whole thing feel less overwhelming
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