Jamie Canard

Jamie Canard knew exactly what he was looking for when he chose to do the Diploma of Interactive Design at Natcoll. As creator and director of the colourful primeval claymation world of Soup, which screened on children’s television programme What Now, he had proven imagination and creative experience. What he wanted was something to bring his skills bang up to date.

‘My skills were not particularly refined and it was all a bit of a hobby … but when I looked into interactive design, I realised it was a perfect fit for what I wanted to do.’

Interactive design focuses on research, design and development of the rich media interfaces that power the virtual world. Jamie is inspired by how new digital technologies have potential to give users a more compelling online experience.

The course offered a good combination of both the design and technical sides, says Jamie. ‘It progressed from graphic design into interactivity, programming and game development. We were constantly building our skills, experimenting with ideas and creating new work.’

Thanks to Natcoll, Jamie is confident he has the knowledge and cutting-edge technical skills to keep pace as the digital world continues to evolve. ‘Natcoll was really slick. The tutors are all passionate about what they do and always ready to share their experience and enthusiasm with the students. It was great.’

Jamie is now creating e-learning tools for a multimedia company.