D&AD Shift with Google Class of 2022 Proves Talent Doesn’t Need a Degree to Make an Impact

Last night, industry professionals gathered at a Showcase of work by the D&AD Shift with Google class of 2022. As the 2022 London cohort finishes the night school, this highly sought after new creative talent won’t be on the market for long. In the six years since Shift started, 72% of graduates globally have secured jobs in the creative industries, working for the likes of Apple, Spotify, Disney, AKQA, Wieden+Kennedy, Mother, Lucky Generals, Droga5, McCann, BBH, BBDO, VCCP, VMLY&R, Superunion, DesignBridge, SeymourPowell, Area23, amongst others, direct for Stormzy and Dave, animate for Katy Perry, as well as win D&AD Pencils. 

The event was the culmination of a five month night school programme, during which 21 aspiring creatives had an opportunity to learn from leading industry professionals and hone their skills. Responses to industry-set briefs by adidas, Diageo and Penguin were presented to top creative professionals at an in-person event at D&AD. Prospective employers came together to view the work and meet this year’s cohort.

The Shift London class of 2022 are Anisa Abdurahman, April Pembleton, Assunta Soraci, Hallie Primus, Hannah Joseph, Imran Shaikh, Jojo Cooper, Justyna Wilk, Keiddy Cruz Rojas, Kevin Ishimwe, Lanre Adeleye, Laura Ukpokolo, Lewis Oakes, Lyla Johnston, Marshall Lawrence, Nicolette Episcopou, Perpetua Png, Raymond Ukwenya, Romaine Fagan, Sasha Yar, and Theo Ahimana.

Some of the Shifters have drawn on a variety of existing talents including working at start-ups, as DJs, videographers, photographers, fashion designers, production assistants, spoken word artists, and content creators. Many have also come from non-creative roles within the retail and hospitality industries and are ready to harness their passion for all things creative to carve a career in the commercial creative industry. 

D&AD Shift with Google, one of the global creative education charity’s flagship programmes, aims to discover and nurture emerging talent without degree-level education, creating new pathways to enter into the industry so that diverse opinions and lived experiences can thrive. Since its launch in 2016, Shift has cultivated an understanding of the business of creativity, working towards a better equipped and culturally nuanced creative sector which is both reflective of and relevant to an evolving cultural and creative landscape. Powered by a core belief that creative excellence is strengthened by diverse communities of creatives, D&AD Shift offers industry professionals access to an exceptional pool of diverse talent outside of the university system, helping to build a representative workforce that will go on to lead our industry and help solve the challenges of tomorrow. 

In 2020, Rare with Google, a Google program that provides equitable opportunities for underrepresented creatives to thrive at every stage of their career, and D&AD Shift set up a partnership to achieve these collective goals. Delivered in conjunction with leaders from local industry, the programme provides self-made creatives with an opportunity to refine their creative skillset, build a network and develop their portfolios. Consisting of real client briefs, talks and mentorship, Shift provides a supportive and educational space for creatives to gain an understanding of what it takes to work within the creative sector with the ultimate aim of uncovering, supporting and helping secure jobs for emerging talent.

This year’s briefs saw brands encourage participants to think carefully about strategy, audience and key messages. adidas challenged Shifters to leverage the brand’s power in sport to ensure all communities feel welcome and can thrive, whilst Diageo set the task of making Guinness 0.0 the #1 non-alcoholic beer brand in the UK by driving awareness, talkability & activating at culturally relevant moments. Penguin’s ‘brief in a day’ asked the creatives to come up with a poster campaign to get under25’s to reduce their screen time in favour of reading.

This year’s programme saw creatives from agencies including Ogilvy, VMLY&R, AKQA, The Mill, Superunion and Mother participate in a range of sessions which aimed to unpick what it takes to succeed in the industry. To date, more than 60 agencies, 354 industry instructors and mentors have participated in and contributed to the global programme. 

Shift Select, an optional continuation of the main Shift programme, kicks off its second year. Agencies including Superunion, Hope&Glory, Designstudio and HUGE have committed to extend the learning experience through in-agency paid placements focusing on a particular discipline.

Paul Drake, foundation director at D&AD, commented: “The work Shift does to open up access to the creative professional world isn’t just important for the emerging creatives it nurtures, but it’s essential for the health of our industry. We must bring more diverse minds into this industry if we want to stay relevant – we are still limiting who tells the stories and how. The impressive portfolios of our Class of 2022 Shifters demonstrate the extent of the talent we can uncover if we stop restricting ourselves to a singular and exclusive pipeline of formal education.”

Hallie Primus, Shift London Class of 2022, commented: "From D&AD to D&A-FREE! I’m proud to say I’ve graduated from this amazing programme. I’ve had so many great moments working with everyone and growing and appreciating the tough times we’ve shared together. Growing our thick skin for whatever industry we may be in. But most importantly challenging myself to overcome the many obstacles I once thought I couldn’t overcome. "

Nazia Du Bois, global head of Rare at Google, commented: “It’s no secret that when you get more diverse perspectives into a room, you get better creative ideas coming out of it. Rare with Google is committed to ensuring that the stories we tell as creative marketers are told by everyone, for everyone. That’s why we’re so proud to partner with D&AD Shift, ushering in ever more diverse voices into our creative industries, and reflecting the world we want to live in.”

Steve Honour, design leader, innovations and futures at Diageo, commented: "Culture sits at the heart of design and of brands. It follows that inclusion and diversity must stand as core pillars of the design industry, and only together can we work to strengthen these pillars. In bringing brands together to support emerging and unrepresented talent, D&AD Shift with Google demonstrates how effective this collaborative effort can be. What a journey and what a partnership it’s been this year with the talented Shifters of 2022 and Diageo - to see how they manage the creative process and their creative output has been legendary." 

To find out more about this year’s participants and see their work please visit the D&AD website.