Priced out of further education, British design graduate Stacie Woolsey approached designers to help her create her own masters course. Speaking to Dezeen, she says elitism is a problem the industry urgently needs to address.
Woolsey had planned to study a masters course after completing her graphic design degree at Kingston University, but was shocked after being told by the Royal College of Art that most students save £40,000 to cover their studies.
Knowing she couldn't afford that, she took matters into her own hands.
"I think ? from bits of research I've done and talking to people ? the main reason people don't do [a masters] is because they're just priced out," Woolsey told Dezeen.
"I think there's a lot of great people trying to do some great teaching at these institutions. And it's just a shame that it becomes a bit exclusive," she said. "We need to make education less elitist and create practical solutions that are not restricted by income, location or background."
Completed four projects over 18 months
Woolsey approached four practising designers she admired: Thomas Thwaites, Alexandra Daisy Ginsberg, Seetal Solanki and a contact at Room Y, the innovation arm of UK department store John Lewis.
She asked each of them to set her design briefs to complete in her own time ? an idea she describes as "freelance learning" ? and completed all four briefs over 18 months of self-directed study.
Stacie Woolsey completed four projects o...