Education

A Night to Remember: Transform 2014

Sitting back on the train home from London is the perfect opportunity to reflect on my first award's night experience – and what an experience it was! I had good reason to believe that IE Brand had as much chance to win as Rufus Leonard or Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, but I didn't dare think that I’d be coming home with three trophies – call it superstition if you like; it must be a family trait!

Speaking of family, I must take advantage of this post to apologise to my parents for calling them in the middle of the night, but some news cannot wait, and they were thrilled to hear it. So thrilled, that by the next morning, my sister, brother and grand-mother had all called to congratulate me.

The Transform awards took place at the Brewery, a beautiful red brick building concealed behind the imposing glass street at Moorgate. We were welcomed by a gang of bowler hats — much to my excitement — and offered a glass of fizzy wine as we entered the reception room. This was the moment I realised that winning any award (let alone three) would be a tremendous achievement. We were soon led to the dining room where 40 round tables had been set in a classy white decor.

The first award was Best Use of Visual Property and our work with University of Birmingham was nominated against the likes of Lloyds banks. Hearing IE Brand's name amongst the winners brought so much pride. Perhaps the Bronze award, on a personal level, was the most special of the night. It was the first logo that I had ever created as part of the IE Brand team, and the first one of my professional career! To see it competing alongside The English National Ballet and Lloyds Bank was amazing.

Then came the last award of the night, Best Visual Identity – and two IE Brand nominations for our work with the universities of Warwick and Birmingham. If laughing is an effective way of relieving nerves, then I must have been laughing all night long..

Then the results… Silver for University of Birmingham and Gold for University of Warwick – two awards!

It all came so quickly and the way I reacted is now a bit of a blur, but I am certain that there was a fair amount of clapping and cheering as I went up on stage. I thanked Alastair Campbell – our host, before taking the official photographs and being rushed to the interview room to share a few words in front of the camera. My head was full of words of excitement, although I hadn't thought of any kind of speech.

I really enjoyed the Transform Awards, and it was a great pleasure to spend the evening with University of Birmingham's Jessica Holloway-Swift and Kirsty Smith. I was really happy to see them going back with two trophies in their hands… two of the many they have already received since our rebrand.

These awards are the result of strong teamwork, a collaboration of passion, creativity, patience and most of all: hard work.

My only hope is that there will soon be another occasion to cheer as much as we did on that night. All that's left now is to search further into my imagination to reach the ideas that will build tomorrow's work. That is the biggest of all challenges, but I am most certainly up for it…

View Pascaline's interview at the Transform awards here