Belfast Met Graphic Design student crowned as 2021 ACA UK & Ireland Champion

Belfast Met (@bfastmet) HND Graphic Design student, Emma Rodgers has been announced as the winner of the prestigious ACA UK & Ireland Award.

Emma made it through to be one of the top 20 finalists from thousands of entrants from across the UK & IE in Adobe Photoshop, InDesign & Illustrator.

Finalists demonstrated their proficiency using industry-leading Adobe Creative Cloud software to design a poster in just a few hours for Barnardos Ireland, the leading children’s charity. Emma’s prizes will include a plaque, a Microsoft Surface Go laptop and Surface headphones.

Emma, from Ballymena, will graduate from Belfast Met this autumn and was overjoyed by the win. Emma, said,

”I am so thrilled to have won this award, it was just unbelievable, that someone like me from a small town could achieve this. I never imagined that I could have won an award like this.

“My Graphic Design course has really helped me to broaden my skillset and I was particularly inspired by my lecturer Conor McClure’s approach to Art, and he was always there to support me and give good advice.

“Belfast Met facilitated my entry exam to this competition using Photoshop which I passed with really high marks, so I went through the final. This has been an amazing opportunity for me and my future career, and I’m looking forward to taking part in the international competition in November.”

Conor McClure, Lecturer in Graphic Design with Digital Multimedia, confirmed:

“Emma has been a fantastic student who has shown a clear flair for illustration and digital art that has featured in her design work throughout the course. This award is well deserved and a clear reflection of the hard work she has put into the development of her skills in using software, as well as her ability to work under extreme pressure and critical thinking in dealing with client briefs.

“These are all vital skills that will assist her and she has a very bright future ahead as a designer. We all wish Emma the best of luck in the International Finals! We are incredibly proud of the work that all our students were able to produce under very difficult circumstances in the past year, and every achievement is testament to their commitment and passion for Design.”

Andrew Flood, Chief Executive Officer at Prodigy Learning, confirmed:

“Showcasing the best of the best digital skills at the UK & Ireland ACA Championship Final is always an exciting day, we have been blown away this year by the talented finalists. It is an honour to crown the ACA Champion who will represent the region at the virtual ACA World Championship Final in 2021. Certification and participation in this final will stand out on their CVs to employers worldwide as a validation of skills they can use in almost any line of work. Congratulations to Emma Rodgers on an incredible achievement.”

 Having just completed her HND Graphic Design at Belfast Met, Emma plans to continue studying at university and keep developing her art and her portfolio.