Graphic design students at South Regional TAFE recently had a unique opportunity to hone their design and communication skills in a national road safety project.
Guided by their lecturer, in collaboration with Re:act For Change and local partners Shire of Augusta-Margaret River, the Road Safety Commission, RAC, WorkSafe and Western Power, students were challenged to create a behaviour change campaign to educate their peers on the dangers of distracted driving, particularly mobile phone use with young drivers.
Funding from the Australian Government, under the National Road Safety Action Grants Program (NRSAGP) allowed the road safety program to expand into regional areas across Australia for the first time in 2024.
South Regional TAFE Diploma of Graphic Design student, Felicity Jones’ innovative campaign, “Distracted Driving in This Economy?” was selected as the winning design for Re:act Regional in Western Australia.
Felicity’s campaign stood out for its creative approach to a critical issue, using a popular Gen Z phrase to deliver a clear and pointed message to young drivers. Her work has featured on South West roadside billboards and online, raising safety awareness in the local community.
Hailing from Esperance, Felicity’s training journey began with a Certificate III and IV in Graphic Design, and in 2021 she enrolled in the Diploma of Graphic Design at South Regional TAFE, at just 17 years of age.
Through flexible and online learning, delivered by Margaret River campus, Felicity was able to complete her Diploma of Graphic Design while working part time, and attributes her growth to the opportunities provided to her by TAFE.
“This program challenged me in ways I never expected, and I saw my confidence grow as a designer.
“The fact that the campaign I created is out in the world is an incredible feeling. I’m proud to know that my work could help save lives.”
Caroline Abbey, Felicity’s lecturer said the Re:act program provided students with valuable real-world experience working on an industry-level, professional project.
“The Re:act program was a fantastic opportunity for all eight students involved and feedback from Re:act and industry partners was overwhelmingly positive,” Caroline said.
“This project not only enriched students’ portfolios with high quality work, but also deepened their understanding of graphic design principles and contributed to their academic performance in nationally recognised training.”
South Regional TAFE has a range of exciting courses on offer in 2025, at 12 campuses across the South West, Great Southern, Goldfields and Wheatbelt regions and online, with many of them fee-free and low fee.
Explore all courses on offer, and apply and enrol at southregionaltafe.wa.edu.au.