Hear straight from our graduates.
The final two weeks of the course unearthed an adrenaline I didn’t know existed. I ultimately emerged from the design frenzy with a portfolio I was proud to present.
VJ and Designer, Tszuj
Carla Zimbler
How did you learn about Shillington? What made our design course stand out from the rest?
I found out about Shillington through researching online. I weighed up a few different design schools, asked questions, sourced feedback and settled on the full-time, 3 month course. At the time, I had just arrived back from overseas and was looking to skill-up before the new year. My pre-existing clients were asking for motion graphics/animated type and I was eager to go back to square one and learn the basics. I realised that I had gaps in my knowledge and Shillington was the perfect opportunity to completely immerse myself in design thinking and practice and meet like-minded creatives in an intimate class setting. I realised I prefer intensive-style learning as it helps me stay focused and on track.
Did you have any previous design experience? How did the course build your skill set?
I come from a media production background with a focus on postproduction and editing. During my exchange semester in Copenhagen and experimental art studies in Iceland, I discovered a passion for animation and VFX and developed new skills in set/stage design and projection art. Combining these interests led me to directing music videos for artists/bands, producing promotional material for their releases and developing/operating live visuals as a ‘VJ’(video jockey) for their tours. Marketing and visual design play an important role in the music industry. Shillington helped me refine these skills. I learnt how to understand and respond to creative briefs/clients, be critical and adapt my aesthetic to different genres. I dipped my toe into serif typefaces for the first time and learnt basic UX design, I developed ‘tone of voice’ and got ‘punny’ for COP-A-CHOP which received a Distinction at the 2018 AGDA Design Awards.
What was your favourite student brief? Tell us about the process and the final outcome.
My favourite brief was hand-made, because it gave me the opportunity to engage with ‘analogue-style’ distortion rather than digitally manipulated text. I crouched over my bathtub with a mini-projector and DSLR camera, blowing bubbles, capturing the warped effect and impact of fluid, soap-infused typography. I used hand-made to develop promotional assets for an A/V festival called ‘A Nice Warm Bath’ I was in the process of conceptualising/curating. The brief helped me refine the visual identity of the festival which I then pitched to City of Melbourne Council in 2018. Once the grant was approved, I adapted my hand-made project into real merchandise (tote bags, stickers, bubble fluid packaging), marketing content for social platforms and festival way-finding. ‘A Nice Warm Bath’ sold-out at Melbourne Music Week in November 2018 and is expected to return in 2020 with a refreshed identity and plenty more bubbles.
My approach to each Shillington brief was always experimental—I would be in the back of the classroom under the table with a projector trying to map text across unusual surfaces like cotton wool or using animation software to extrude and manipulate graphic elements. Whilst there were times in class when I felt doubtful, frustrated and uncertain, defended critical assessment and sat blankly shrouded in brain-fog, I recognised this was all part of the creative journey—and an emotional one it was! The final two weeks of the course unearthed an adrenaline I didn’t know existed. I ultimately emerged from the design frenzy with a portfolio I was proud to present. Shillington was a rewarding challenge and I want to thank the staff for their patience and support
Follow Carla on instagram and read her full interview on the blog.
The final two weeks of the course unearthed an adrenaline I didn’t know existed. I ultimately emerged from the design frenzy with a portfolio I was proud to present.
VJ and Designer, Tszuj
Carla Zimbler
How did you learn about Shillington? What made our design course stand out from the rest?
I found out about Shillington through researching online. I weighed up a few different design schools, asked questions, sourced feedback and settled on the full-time, 3 month course. At the time, I had just arrived back from overseas and was looking to skill-up before the new year. My pre-existing clients were asking for motion graphics/animated type and I was eager to go back to square one and learn the basics. I realised that I had gaps in my knowledge and Shillington was the perfect opportunity to completely immerse myself in design thinking and practice and meet like-minded creatives in an intimate class setting. I realised I prefer intensive-style learning as it helps me stay focused and on track.
Did you have any previous design experience? How did the course build your skill set?
I come from a media production background with a focus on postproduction and editing. During my exchange semester in Copenhagen and experimental art studies in Iceland, I discovered a passion for animation and VFX and developed new skills in set/stage design and projection art. Combining these interests led me to directing music videos for artists/bands, producing promotional material for their releases and developing/operating live visuals as a ‘VJ’(video jockey) for their tours. Marketing and visual design play an important role in the music industry. Shillington helped me refine these skills. I learnt how to understand and respond to creative briefs/clients, be critical and adapt my aesthetic to different genres. I dipped my toe into serif typefaces for the first time and learnt basic UX design, I developed ‘tone of voice’ and got ‘punny’ for COP-A-CHOP which received a Distinction at the 2018 AGDA Design Awards.
What was your favourite student brief? Tell us about the process and the final outcome.
My favourite brief was hand-made, because it gave me the opportunity to engage with ‘analogue-style’ distortion rather than digitally manipulated text. I crouched over my bathtub with a mini-projector and DSLR camera, blowing bubbles, capturing the warped effect and impact of fluid, soap-infused typography. I used hand-made to develop promotional assets for an A/V festival called ‘A Nice Warm Bath’ I was in the process of conceptualising/curating. The brief helped me refine the visual identity of the festival which I then pitched to City of Melbourne Council in 2018. Once the grant was approved, I adapted my hand-made project into real merchandise (tote bags, stickers, bubble fluid packaging), marketing content for social platforms and festival way-finding. ‘A Nice Warm Bath’ sold-out at Melbourne Music Week in November 2018 and is expected to return in 2020 with a refreshed identity and plenty more bubbles.
My approach to each Shillington brief was always experimental—I would be in the back of the classroom under the table with a projector trying to map text across unusual surfaces like cotton wool or using animation software to extrude and manipulate graphic elements. Whilst there were times in class when I felt doubtful, frustrated and uncertain, defended critical assessment and sat blankly shrouded in brain-fog, I recognised this was all part of the creative journey—and an emotional one it was! The final two weeks of the course unearthed an adrenaline I didn’t know existed. I ultimately emerged from the design frenzy with a portfolio I was proud to present. Shillington was a rewarding challenge and I want to thank the staff for their patience and support
Follow Carla on instagram and read her full interview on the blog.
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