Our
Students

Where do you work?
I landed a job at Titan Outdoor earlier this year after 12 months of freelancing and an internship at Ferrari magazine. I felt I needed to be around other creatives and in a studio environment with a constant workflow to challenge me. I still take on small freelancing jobs in my spare time to spice things up a bit.

What is your role?
I'm a graphic designer in the marketing department working with a small team of designers and interns. We also work very closely with a team called Spectrum (our 'think tank') and the PR team. Together we brainstorm and create solutions for our sales team and clients. The work can vary from sales mock-ups, poster design, photography, retouching, in-house marketing documentation and sales tools, tender documents and, more excitingly, the company's rebrand. I'm collaborating with the US designers in changing the look and feel of the UK branch.

Did you feel confident about entering the design industry after you graduated?
I was very confident when I left Shillington, two of us [students] even created a small company and tackled several projects before I decided to go down the studio route. We were given such a variety of projects to work on at college that I have rarely felt overwhelmed by workloads or the size of a project. I've made mistakes but you learn from them, and improve a bit more with every brief you complete. It's easy when you're doing something you actually enjoy.

What were you doing before the course?
I was an events manager in a law firm.

Why did you decide to do the course?
My events job was a challenging role but I felt I wasn't making full use of my creativity. I'd promised myself that one day I'd become a graphic designer and this course was perfect for a quick change of career. The school gave me a supportive studio environment which is structured as a normal working day, where I could learn the practical skills that are required in the industry.

What was the most valuable thing you took away from the course?
The ability to think on my feet, push the boundaries and think outside of the box when the occasion allows. Also the ability to create good clean simple design when a subtle approach is called for. It's amazing how, when you learn a new trick, you can go a bit crazy with it. The self-control that I learnt and the ability to take criticism on board was so important to becoming a better designer.

Where do you see yourself 12 months from now?
Plans may change if I win the lottery but I love what I do. Learning new techniques or seeing something and finding out how it's done can only help me improve and be more successful.

What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Landing my first paid project was an amazing feeling and, after seeing my first poster printed up and on a billboard, I couldn't help but smile like an idiot. I felt like I'd really accomplished something.