Solent designers get unique championship football opportunity

35 students on BA (Hons) Graphic Design and BA (Hons) Illustration courses at Solent University were invited to submit designs for the front cover of a match day programme distributed at two championship games in the season. More than 50 designs were submitted by Solent students, as part of a wider initiative to celebrate Southampton’s creativity.

A winning design by a Solent student has since been selected to feature on a programme cover for two at-home games against West Bromwich Albion and Birmingham City F.C. This kind of real-world, hands-on learning experience is what Solent University prides itself on – giving students CV-boosting opportunities while connecting them to a diversity of industries and audiences.

Solent’s Course Leader Visual Communication, Ellie Kilburn says:

“It’s been an absolute honour for us to have the opportunity to design programme covers for the 2025/26 season. To invite a different artist to design a cover for each game is such a great idea and demonstrates just how much creativity there is in Southampton. We’re really proud to be a part of that.”

Students at different stages of their studies were invited to take part and had the opportunity to visit the iconic St Mary’s Stadium where they met TURF’s Creative Director, Ashley Kirby. “This kind of project gives our students a real taste of the working world, as well as the chance to hear directly from professionals at the very top of their game,” Ellie says.

Illustration student, Jack Jenner paid homage to classic football kits and past successes in his winning design while nodding optimistically to the future. “It was truly amazing getting to explore the Saints’ history and find small things I could reference that maybe only some people would know about.”

Alongside his course mates, Jack got to hear from the design team at TURF and experience a behind-the-scenes view of St Mary’s Stadium, which helped influence his winning design. On his success, Jack says:

“Honestly, it kind of doesn’t feel real. Working with TURF has been an absolute pleasure; everyone was super kind and gave us creative freedom to express our ideas. The University has really helped me with my artwork, too – it truly is the best.”

Jack’s design will be showcased on Saturday 6 December and Tuesday 9 December, at the Southampton F.C. vs West Bromwich Albion game. Turf’s Creative Director, Ashley Kirby says:

“The standard of submissions from the Graphic Design and Illustration courses was incredibly high, but Jack’s design stood out to me not only for its quality but for the way it captured the history of the club in a fresh and interesting way, with lots of playful easter eggs. He’d clearly done his research.

“I’m very proud to give emerging illustrators like Jack a platform to share their work with thousands of fans, and I’m excited to keep creating opportunities that shine a light on the talent we have in our city.”