London-based illustrator turned design writer Anna Lisa Reynolds joined the MA Design Writing Criticism course having completed a BA in Illustration in 2009. Anna Lisa has also spent six months with Grafik magazine where she worked as an editorial intern.

Having studied Illustration at BA level, what informed your decision to study MA Design Writing Criticism at LCC?

Throughout the three years of my BA, I was always aware that something was missing. I was on a practical course, and yet found the written assignments much more enjoyable than the illustrative briefs. The process of researching and writing my dissertation really whetted my appetite, and by the time I'd graduated, I knew I wanted to pursue my interest in art and design criticism further.

What were your experiences on MA Design Writing Criticism course?

It's been challenging and rewarding in equal measure. From taking a critical approach during a day at a London Cooking School to holding group interviews with the residents of a local housing estate, the course has been designed to challenge its students' perspectives on what design, writing and criticism are, and what they have the potential to be.

You spent an internship with Grafik magazine, how did that come about?

A few months into the MA, our course leader alerted us to an internship opportunity within the Grafik editorial team. I decided to go for it, knowing that it would be a fantastic opportunity to put the skills I was developing on the MA course into practise. I started at Grafik in December last year and was with the magazine until the end of June.

What did you learn whilst with Grafik magazine?

Working at Grafik gave me the opportunity to try my hand at an extremely varied range of tasks - one day I'd be reporting from a conference, the next I'd be writing articles, updating the Grafik blog, organising content for future issues or contacting contributors. I had to learn very, very quickly or I wouldn't have been able to keep up. My editors and colleagues were extremely supportive and I learnt a huge amount from them.

What did you do for your final major project; I hear Dungeons and Dragons dice were involved?

I chose to focus the research for my major project on video games. I wanted to focus on something on the periphery, something that hasn't perhaps been considered as design before. Videogames are unquestionably a unique and distinct medium in their own right, but they're also designed, and I want to approach them from a design critic's perspective. The Dungeons and Dragons die was used in a presentation, to illustrate the different ways in which critics have approached videogames in the past, and as a visual metaphor for the way those approaches have been chosen - through experimentation and play. It was intended as something of a wry nod to the analogue origins of videogames.

What are your plans for the future?

My fellow course mates and I are hoping to put together a publication featuring writing from all the members of the MA Design Writing Criticism cohort, to showcase our work at our graduation show. We have also been invited to provide blog coverage for the London Design Festival in September. I'll be continuing to work freelance as a design writer once the course is complete, with a view to return to the publishing industry at some point in the future. I'm also looking into the possibility of starting up a zine-type publication to showcase experimental and unusual design writing.