I'm a senior lecturer at City University, London and teach a postgraduate course in Design and Layout for the Web. Each year I seek a real world client who is interested in providing a web design problem for my class of Master's students.

The focus of the class is the visual design and layout of web sites. The design process that the students go through involves three stages: concept boards, digital mockups and final implementation in browser readable form. It is an iterative process, and the students get feedback at each stage, both from myself and the client.

The class enrolement is between 15-25 students which means if you get involved you'll be able to tap into a considerable pool of creative talent to work on your design problem. In previous years students' work has been used by clients who participated in the class, including the Apex Trust, a charity promoting emplyment opportunities for ex-offenders.

The design problem set could be the design of a new site or the redesign of an existing site. If it is the former you'll need to have the information architecture of the site at an advanced stage before the class begins in January 2006.

I ask that the client commits to the following:

1. Produce a briefing document of 4 pages or more describing the design problem.
2. Meet the students at the start of the project to breif them in person and answer their questions (2 hours).
3. Be available on email during the duration of the project to answer question that might arise.
4. Look through the students' initial concept boards, and provide feedback individually and collectively--at a face-to-face meeting lasting about 2 hours.
5. As (4) for their digital prototypes.
6. At the end of the course look through the final work (which will be provided in browser-readable form), and provide a summative feedback individually and attend a session (lasting about 3 hours) where students present their work and you (and I) provide feedback. 

This is a great opportunity to have the creative talent of a group of postgraduate web design students focussed for a 10 week period on your web design / layout problem.

If you are interested please contact me by email at: neilt 'at' soi.city.ac.uk.

Neil