Hear straight from our graduates.
I’ve been nicknamed ‘Speedy Gonzales’ and ‘Lightning Lin’ at work. I owe it to Shillington for that.
Designer, DNA Design
Crystal Lin
What do you love about being a designer?
I love adding my personal touch and personality to the world in the form of design. And having the privilege of being a channel for people to voice their ideas through me—for example, a client has an idea, but doesn’t have know how to express it or make it tangible, so the designer is given the responsibility and the reigns to execute and help the client out in this way.
What area were you working in before the course?
Classical Music. I had just graduated from university studying a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Performance Viola and Voice.
What was the most valuable thing you took away from the course?
The ability to work with speed. Time is money! Shillington really emphasised the reality of working to a deadline. Getting brief and having to hand in the design at the end of the same day is not uncommon in the industry. I’ve been nicknamed ‘Speedy Gonzales’ and ‘Lightning Lin’ at work. I owe it to Shillington for that.
Also, the importance of process, building an idea up from the base. Every step of the design process is vital in getting the final product. Research, brainstorming, concepting, developing, refining. And also just persevering! There will be times you get creative block but you just have to forge your way through.
How did you find the college environment, facilities and teaching?
It was like being at home! Like being part of a new family. You’re with the other students for hours every day so you become a tight-knit group. Our facilities were pristine, and having the college in a modern building where other corporate businesses are only heightened the sense of professionalism and design-in-the-working-world feel.
I could rave about the teachers forever, they were awesome. Their experiences of the design industry meant the content of the course was up-to-date. They treated us as professionals, as if they were the art directors and we were junior designers in a massive studio. We were pushed to design our best and not to settle for anything less. We were recognised for our individual styles that came through our design work, but also guided and supported throughout the course.
Caitlin Clancy
Designer, The New York Times
Miwako Suzuki
Integrated Creative Director
Rachel Urquhart
Founder, Pony Gold Studio
Lauren Koste
Freelance Designer and Craft Beer Specialist
Eman Abdallah
Designer, Humachina
Lori Beth Kaye
Senior Product Designer, The Iconic
Anastasiia Vinnichenko
Designer, Tile Creative
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
Araki Koman
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Keiran McCann
Graphic Designer, Victoria’s Secret
Emily Campos
UX Designer, Wix
Jaira Adlawan
Senior Visual Designer, Sephora
Ani Monteleone
Designer, The Wall Street Journal
Hamish Snow
Designer, Josephmark
Eleanor Robertson
Designer, Paul Belford Ltd
Gerald Torto
Strategist, Re Agency
Linda Gao
Designer, HBO
Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
Co-Founders, Studio Duzi
Will Batrouney
Graphic Designer, Ignite Online
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
Bianca Oggiano
Designer, Design Haus Liberty
Christopher J Porter
Designer, I See Sea
Dominika Stanczyk
Designer, Open Water
Katie Lodge
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Vanessa Bertagnole
Graphic Multimedia Designer, Surf Life Saving Queensland
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Clemenger BBDO
Jordan Demetriou
Junior Designer, Principals
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder of Helio Press
Emily Somers
Founder, Bravery Co.
Yarron Frauenfelder
Design Director
Anara Davletaliyeva
UX Designer and Developer, Appliances Online
Erin Gale
Designer, Target
Tiffany Yee
Designer, Forever 21
Amy Sheehan
Art Director, Insider Inc.
Emma Ladlow
Designer, University of Nottingham Students' Union
Braden Floris
Designer, GoFundMe
Alexis Waller
Design Director, R/GA
Halah El Kholy
In-House Designer, Brew Tea Co
Alexander Rog
Junior Designer, oOh!
Jessica Bakker
Junior Graphic Designer, Beyond Communications
Bianca Chu
Senior Designer, eBay
Tally Thompson
Graphic Designer, Awesome Creative
Greg Bemis
Creative, Nike
Arnold Omanyo
UX/UI Designer, Digital on Demand
Tahmena Lutfi
Digital Designer, Qantas and Jetstar Hotels
Meredith Wallis
Designer, King & Partners
Miranda Mayne
Freelance Graphic Designer
Lindsay Koffler
Graphic Designer, Refinery29
Bobby Hendry
Designer, Brilliant Logic
Anika George
Designer, AKQA
Mark Osmond
Designer, Thumbs Up!
Lily Moore
Designer at Sotheby’s
Liana Modolo
UX Designer, Rex Software
Victoire Scherer
Junior Graphic Designer, Neoscape
Mikel McCavana
Designer, Moment
Kelly Hansen
Graphic Designer, Amazon Books
Alexander Wu-Kim
Concept Creative, ANDPEOPLE Australia
Kirsten McColl
Designer, WH-O
Nicole Rogers
Designer, Birchbox
Frankie Young
Founder, Studio Neubau
Pooja Dharia
Branding Designer, FCB Health
Jackson Todd
Art Director, Van Der Zwaag
Dawn Moloney
Founder, A Making Life
Caroline Keefe
Freelance, Nickelodeon
Sophie Lord
Creative Director, Hello May
Ocki Magill
Founder, Letter Bug Studios
Andy Vargas
Designer, Bitâcora
Moshe Bien
Designer, Nucleus
Crystal Lin
Designer, DNA Design
Stephen Grace
Designer, Christopher Doyle & Co.
Jing Ong
Designer, Autumn
Paul and Amoni Liddell
Graphic Designers, Westpac CX and Feel
I’ve been nicknamed ‘Speedy Gonzales’ and ‘Lightning Lin’ at work. I owe it to Shillington for that.
Designer, DNA Design
Crystal Lin
What do you love about being a designer?
I love adding my personal touch and personality to the world in the form of design. And having the privilege of being a channel for people to voice their ideas through me—for example, a client has an idea, but doesn’t have know how to express it or make it tangible, so the designer is given the responsibility and the reigns to execute and help the client out in this way.
What area were you working in before the course?
Classical Music. I had just graduated from university studying a Bachelor of Music, majoring in Performance Viola and Voice.
What was the most valuable thing you took away from the course?
The ability to work with speed. Time is money! Shillington really emphasised the reality of working to a deadline. Getting brief and having to hand in the design at the end of the same day is not uncommon in the industry. I’ve been nicknamed ‘Speedy Gonzales’ and ‘Lightning Lin’ at work. I owe it to Shillington for that.
Also, the importance of process, building an idea up from the base. Every step of the design process is vital in getting the final product. Research, brainstorming, concepting, developing, refining. And also just persevering! There will be times you get creative block but you just have to forge your way through.
How did you find the college environment, facilities and teaching?
It was like being at home! Like being part of a new family. You’re with the other students for hours every day so you become a tight-knit group. Our facilities were pristine, and having the college in a modern building where other corporate businesses are only heightened the sense of professionalism and design-in-the-working-world feel.
I could rave about the teachers forever, they were awesome. Their experiences of the design industry meant the content of the course was up-to-date. They treated us as professionals, as if they were the art directors and we were junior designers in a massive studio. We were pushed to design our best and not to settle for anything less. We were recognised for our individual styles that came through our design work, but also guided and supported throughout the course.
Eleanor Rogers
Letterpress Printer, Chapel Press
Andy Tharagonnet
Designer, ThumbsUp
Erin Donati
Founder, Harley Quinn & Co.
Ben Peters
Freelance Graphic Designer
Brad Holten
Designer, Big Idea
Natalia Baker
Freelance Graphic Designer
Guy Pittard
Freelance Graphic Designer
Bea Sambalido
Freelance Graphic Designer
Oceane Combeau
Designer, Fernand et Firmin
Charly Tudor
Graphic Designer, Holdens
Anna Mullin
Illustrator, Sneaky Racoon
Theo Witrylak
Visual Designer, EPAM
Stephanie Antill
Founder, St Clement Creative
Paul McKie and Myles Sharpe
Directors, Autumn
Pete Conforto
Designer, For The People
Nicol Reid
Founder, Little Creative
David Scott
Designer, The Mix
James Birks
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Jane Durlacher
Graphic Designer, Paper Stone Scissors
Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Romayne Gadelrab
Freelance Graphic Designer
Janno Saft
Founder, frank wo
Roo Cassels
Designer, Big Fish
Vanessa Burgess
Graphic Designer, Tritium
Olivier Adam
Freelance Graphic Designer
Molly Sitter
Studio Designer, Spring St. Social Society
Cari Sekendur
Art Director, LMNOP Creative
Alexandra Menzies
Freelance Graphic Designer
Tim Jones
Brand Experience Director, venturethree
Carla Scotto
Freelance Graphic Designer
Meg Walker
Designer, Milkshake
Christina Capetola
Designer at Wayfair
Louise Hamer
Design Lead, We Are Empire
Ina Estrada
Founder, Par Vous Designs
Chrystal Christie
Photographer/Graphic Designer, One Round Entertainment
Ulrika Johnson
Designer, Fantasia Accessories
Sam Jacobs
Senior Designer, Time Inc.
Sean Raynor
Designer, Watermark Studio
Irina Manning
UX Designer, Manning Labs
Margherita Baldi
Freelance Visual Designer
Henriette van Baren
Graphic Designer, ABC Carpet & Home