Institute of Art Design + Technology Dún Laoghaire
Ireland’s campus for the Creative Industries
On Show
 Courses
Search
Close
3D Design Modelmaking + Digital Art Animation Applied Psychology Art Character MakeUp Design Costume Design Creative Computing Creative Media Technologies Creative Music Production Design for Change Film + Television Production New Media Studies Photography Production Design User Experience Design Visual Communication Design




Emma Nolan 

BA [Hons] Visual Communication Design

Hello! I'm Emma and I'm delighted to be part of IADT's OnShow 2023. As someone with an active imagination, I apply playful, empathetic design to all of my work, which includes print, screen, and 3D applications. I love to work with complex and sometimes abstract ideas, and explore how these can be delivered meaningfully through image and language. In January-March 2022 I had the pleasure of interning at Brennan and Steven's Design studio in Dublin, and have also worked towards delivering 3 innovation vouchers with Enterprise Ireland over the last 2 years. I'm thrilled to be showcasing my work and my passion alongside my classmates!

bio. is a speculative educational program that integrates biodiversity into college learning. It equips students with the "nature credentials" essential for a sustainable future.
Screen applications for bio. include a website to guide students towards signing up, and a companion app that acts as a learning tool.
The onboarding process of the app explains in simple terms the structure of the program to students, and how they earn credits. The course content is divided across 3 areas: personal, college and community life.
The app tracks and assists progress in each of the three areas of the program.
One key function of the app is to record time spent in nature. This is logged in your "nature journal," and is part of the personal section of the program.
Campaign and tone of voice blend corporate language with fun and vibrance of nature.
Posters act as touch points for commuting students on campus and on public transport.
Mock job requirements posters reiterate the need for nature credentials in the near future.
Once the 12 week program is completed, students are notified on their app.
Students are awarded a certificate and personalised printed ephemera after their completion of the program.
Honorary badges are also issued to mark students' newly earned nature credentials.
bio. - getting versed in nature

bio. is a speculative initiative that encourages third level students to integrate biodiversity into their learning experience. As young people adapted to an increasingly digitised world, we are arguably less connected to nature than any generation before us. bio. points to a future in which nature is central to all that we do, and prompts college students to build biodiversity knowledge into their skillset. By signing up to the 12 week bio. program, students can earn a unique qualification that sets them apart in their field of study. Participants will engage with biodiversity in both their personal and professional lives, through recreational activities, community workshops and a college module. In completing this, Bio. aims to reconnect young people with their natural environments, and imagines a world where nature is relevant to all aspects of our lives.


Thesis: “The Show is inexplicable unless you’re Irish”: Examining the appeal of RTÉ’s The Late Late Toy Show

My thesis deconstructs the iconic Irish television event, The Late Late Toy Show, produced by RTÉ, and examine its appeal to Irish audiences. As the most watched television show in Ireland, I felt this cultural phenomenon warranted a critical investigation, which I conducted through an analysis of the show's and its audiences' visual communication strategies. Three main reasons for the spectacle’s success are examined: its status as an “Irish institution” and ability to perform Irish identity; its celebration of childhood and adult infantilisation, exemplified by the show’s current host, Ryan Tubridy; and its recent rebrand as a more philanthropic event. I used a variety of visual evidence to illustrate this research, namely the RTÉ Guide weekly magazines, of which there is an annual Toy Show edition, as well as elements of the show itself such as the child guests and the audience’s responses on social media. In doing this, this thesis provides comprehensive, plausible conclusions for the Late Late Toy Show’s unique position in Irish society, how it has maintained its popularity, and its cultural significance to both young and old audiences alike.

Visual Communication Design
Top