Olympic badge designer

University of Brighton Faculty of Arts graduate Julia Zeen has designed Olympic lapel badges that have become a massive craze among millions of Games fans around the world.

Julia, a graphic designer for BozBoz web design agency in Hove, who studied Illustration BA(Hons) and fellow designer Stuart Langley won a commission from Olympic sponsor Coca Cola and came up with 182 official London 2012 pins.

The badges incorporate instantly recognisable London landmarks into the pin designs, including Big Ben and Buckingham Palace.

Part of Julia’s reward for designing the badges was being a torch bearer for the Olympic flame when it passed through Lancing, West Sussex. She said: “I was so nervous but it was a fantastic experience – people kept taking my picture.”

Julia said her illustration course gave her the foundation she needed for her career: “I learnt how to develop concepts and ideas and to work to a brief. Students are encouraged to let their imagination run riot and to think outside of the box to come up with something unique.

“Although working to a brief is important in the real world, during the Illustration course you have more freedom to work on your own personal concepts and visions, I think this is important to help develop your own style and explore what works best for you.

“I really enjoyed the course and would definitely recommend it to others. One of the most beneficial aspects of the course was being surrounded by like-minded people in a creative environment, being able to brainstorm ideas with friends, see what other people were doing and how they have approached projects in different ways. It really helped with the development of my own work.

“This is something that I missed a lot since leaving university but have recently rediscovered working in a design agency.”