Embracing a Collaborative Practice with a Stakeholder: A Challenge Extended from the Academy to the Labour Market

This article focuses on collaborative practice 2022 between the academy, with a 3rd-year un-dergraduate student in Communication Design from Porto Lusófona University (UL), his De-sign professor and a publishing company – Book Cover. The author of the selected illustrations and student, Joel Maia, was asked to design illustrations for 14 book covers in the Jules Verne Collection. The covers were featured in two Portuguese newspapers, Jornal de Notícias in Porto and Diário de Notícias in Lisbon, over 14 weekends. Later, the covers were available in bookstores and at the Lisbon and Porto Book Fair. The article is divided into four main parts: introduction, literature review, collaborative practice methodology and final considerations. This pedagogical practice proved to be a valuable opportunity for several reasons, – financial support to the selected student and strong motivation for them to continue and complete their studies within a supervised and supportive framework; an opportunity to keep the student engaged and provide valuable skills for the job market, enhance his portfolio, offer an opportunity for recognition, visibility and foster creativity and innovation. Moreover, allows a close relationship between teacher, student and client, nurturing a collaborative learning environment like a design studio to learn through real-life projects. The publisher capitalized on the student's availability within the specified timeframe and obtained 14 highly creative illustrations, significantly reducing their workload. This partnership proved to be a great example of a co-creation initiative that resulted in successful outcomes. Finally, it benefits everyone involved and demonstrates the potential for collaboration to equip students and promote participation in innovative practices by creating a dynamic, vibrant, and enriching learning environment.