The International in ISTD
ISTD has a growing international membership and is continuously developing relationships with individuals and organisations around the world.
The Student Assessment Scheme has contributed to the international status of ISTD through extending its reach beyond the UK to Ireland, South Africa and the Lebanon. More recently, the scheme was launched in Australia and New Zealand and continues to expand as more design colleges add the ISTD briefs to their curriculum. Find out more about the international education initiatives in the education section of this site.
Professional members from many countries have been introduced to ISTD through the International Typographic Awards scheme.
ISTD Australasia
Our most recent overseas Assessment was introduced to Australia and New Zealand by Deputy Chair, Becky Chilcott FISTD and ISTD member Annette O’Sullivan.
The inaugural assessment was hosted by Nicki Wragg of Swinburne University in Melbourne, Australia in 2009 with project partner Frost Design. ISTD President, Freda Sack, and Ray Parslow from Frost Design travelled to Melbourne to participate in the assessment with 35 applications from four colleges yielding 24 submissions, with six passes three merits and two commendations.
In 2010 the number of registrations increased by over 100% as the ISTD Student Assessment Scheme increases momentum.
ISTD members and experienced assessors, run workshops throughout the year to offer additional support to participating students.
In 2009, Board member, Nick Kapica, moved to Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand and we look forward to the ISTD gaining notoriety in the region and becoming a catalyst for raising awareness of typographic standards.
ISTD South Africa
Our longest running overseas Assessment is in Johannesburg, South Africa. Instigated in 1999 by Brian Palmer and Tiffany Turkington-Palmer, they maintain their commitment each year.
Since 2000, Brian has developed successful partnerships and sponsorships, particularly with Adobe, that have allowed ISTD representation form the UK to travel to South Africa. This has helped to not only develop the Assessment Scheme, but to carry out high-profile lectures, education seminars and workshops.
We have seen a continuous rise in our membership numbers and our colleagues in South Africa are also testing distance assessment methods with UK and Ireland, using Skype, email and video conferencing.
ISTD Middle East
Notre Dame University has hosted many annual ISTD Middle East Assessments at their Louaize campus, north of Beirut. Long-serving Member John Kortbaoui FISTD and his young team of ISTD members have worked hard in difficult conditions to create maintain the Society's development and involvement in Middle Eastern design education.
The ISTD Middle east Assessment is unique in requiring students to carry out their projects in Arabic and Latin scripts. This provides ISTD and the students with valuable experience, through the comparative assessment by Members from Lebanon and the UK. Despite the ongoing political problems in the Middle east we look forward to maintaining, expanding and supporting our Members there.