Hear straight from our graduates.
I think that in just 3 months I achieved much more than I ever did in my BA.
Midweight Designer, IRIS
Alessandra Conti
Why Shillington? What made our design course stand out from the rest?
My dream was to become a graphic designer and work on exciting projects for big brands. I had some gaps in my skillset I needed to fill but, without a knockout portfolio, I didn’t have any opportunity to get a foot in the door with a creative agency. Shillington was the only course that could deliver that in a short amount of time. Their aim is to focus on teaching everything you need to start a career in the creative sector in a way that is efficient and industry focussed.
How did you find your Shillington experience? You were also raising a young family during the course—how did you find balancing your family and your studies?
I loved studying at Shillington. There was a great energy in the class and everything was very well thought out. I think I’ve never been in a more inspiring and efficient course in my life. It was a hard choice to make though. I knew it was going to be tough, especially when you have a little one to look after. I worked very hard for 3 months. I remember that, although I had lots of support from my partner, I never had time to even sit down on the sofa for 5 minutes. But I didn’t mind, it was actually a very exciting time of my life, I had the opportunity to get back in the game and do something more meaningful with my life. Being a mum didn’t stop me, I actually think that helped me: multitasking, time management and being able to work under stress with only a few hours sleep are skills that only a parent can master!
What were you up to before Shillington? Why did you take the plunge and enrol?
I was a marketing executive for an office furniture dealer. Although it offered security and flexibility, perfect for a mum, I wasn’t happy and I felt that I was slowly losing my creative spark. I knew I could do better so I decided to leave and start a career as a graphic designer. It was a difficult decision but I didn’t want to spend my whole life doing something that didn’t fulfil me.
You previously studied interior design. Did this help during the course?
Although interior and graphic design are different disciplines, they have things in common like colour theory and design principles. I guess that some things in the course were not completely new to me and this made my life easier. But at Shillington I learned a specific creative process that really opened my mind. I think that in just 3 months I achieved much more than I ever did in my BA.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
I would say to trust the process, stay positive and make decisions quickly. Also, try to be conceptually brave and give projects a meaning otherwise you’ll only end up with just a pretty portfolio to look at.
I think that in just 3 months I achieved much more than I ever did in my BA.
Midweight Designer, IRIS
Alessandra Conti
Why Shillington? What made our design course stand out from the rest?
My dream was to become a graphic designer and work on exciting projects for big brands. I had some gaps in my skillset I needed to fill but, without a knockout portfolio, I didn’t have any opportunity to get a foot in the door with a creative agency. Shillington was the only course that could deliver that in a short amount of time. Their aim is to focus on teaching everything you need to start a career in the creative sector in a way that is efficient and industry focussed.
How did you find your Shillington experience? You were also raising a young family during the course—how did you find balancing your family and your studies?
I loved studying at Shillington. There was a great energy in the class and everything was very well thought out. I think I’ve never been in a more inspiring and efficient course in my life. It was a hard choice to make though. I knew it was going to be tough, especially when you have a little one to look after. I worked very hard for 3 months. I remember that, although I had lots of support from my partner, I never had time to even sit down on the sofa for 5 minutes. But I didn’t mind, it was actually a very exciting time of my life, I had the opportunity to get back in the game and do something more meaningful with my life. Being a mum didn’t stop me, I actually think that helped me: multitasking, time management and being able to work under stress with only a few hours sleep are skills that only a parent can master!
What were you up to before Shillington? Why did you take the plunge and enrol?
I was a marketing executive for an office furniture dealer. Although it offered security and flexibility, perfect for a mum, I wasn’t happy and I felt that I was slowly losing my creative spark. I knew I could do better so I decided to leave and start a career as a graphic designer. It was a difficult decision but I didn’t want to spend my whole life doing something that didn’t fulfil me.
You previously studied interior design. Did this help during the course?
Although interior and graphic design are different disciplines, they have things in common like colour theory and design principles. I guess that some things in the course were not completely new to me and this made my life easier. But at Shillington I learned a specific creative process that really opened my mind. I think that in just 3 months I achieved much more than I ever did in my BA.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
I would say to trust the process, stay positive and make decisions quickly. Also, try to be conceptually brave and give projects a meaning otherwise you’ll only end up with just a pretty portfolio to look at.
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