Sam stamps his mark on top design award

A Fleetwood graphic designer was part of a team which won a coveted award described as being one of the '˜Oscars of the design industry'.
Sam Ratcliffe, of Fleetwood, with his Design and Art Directors award.Sam Ratcliffe, of Fleetwood, with his Design and Art Directors award.
Sam Ratcliffe, of Fleetwood, with his Design and Art Directors award.

And Sam Ratcliffe’s entry had a stamp of approval - literally.

The award-winning entry was a series of six Royal Mail stamps commemorating last year’s 350th anniversary of the Great Fire of London in 1666.

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Sam, a former graphic design degree student at Blackpool and The Fylde College, was taken on by Manchester-based design agency, The Chase, four years ago.

The stamp designed by John Higgins and the team from The Chase in Manchester.The stamp designed by John Higgins and the team from The Chase in Manchester.
The stamp designed by John Higgins and the team from The Chase in Manchester.

He worked on the stamp project with his creative diractor at The Chase, Richard Scholey and noted graphic artist John Higgins’ comic book designs. They succeeded in the prestigious Design and Art Directors 2017 awards in the graphic design section, and Sam picked up the trophy at a glittering awards ceremony at The Troxy centre in London.

Sam, 25, of Hollywood Grove, said: “It sounds a bit clichéd but this was a dream come true for me. When I started on the degree course at Blackpool and The Fylde, we were told that winning a D&AD was the pinnacle of achievement for our industry. To win one so early in my career is brilliant.”

Sam has since left The Chase and is moving to London firm The Partnership to fulfil another career dream - to work in the capital.

Sam’s former tutor at Blackpool and The Fylde College, Andy Docherty, said: “These awards are like the Oscars for the design world. Sam was a superb student and I’m thrilled for him to achieve this.”

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