Hear straight from our graduates.
The fact that I could walk away in 3 months with comprehensive skills and be competitive with other designers who had 4 year degrees was the icing on the cake.
Content Manager, Outreach
Kelly Hansen
Why Shillington?
I had just graduated high school the summer before I left for Australia so mainly odd jobs such as a classroom assistant at a local preschool and in-store associate for a pool company. Very, very, groundbreaking work that was difficult to walk away from.
Initially I wanted to be a counselor but I realized I’m far too emotional to be any sort of help. While deciding what to do moving forward I asked some friends if I should consider going to school to become a designer and in short their response was: “Duh.” To them it was “abnormal” to comment on type, layout and have general design commentary running through their mind every time they set foot outdoors or scrolled through the internet. I thought that was something everyone did but apparently it was just me! With that in mind, I took my time researching courses and trying to find one that suited me. I came across Shillington and was all in. The caliber of work that students were releasing in portfolio, the thought and effort that was apparent in both Shillington’s approach to design education as well as how that translated into teaching future designers was unlike anything I was seeing from other school’s. The fact that I could walk away in 3 months with comprehensive skills and be competitive with other designers who had 4 year degrees was the icing on the cake.
After Shillington you worked at the Seattle Symphony, Sotheby’s and now Amazon. How did you find the job hunt? Were you confident with your Shillington portfolio?
I think the beauty of design is the freedom you have to grow, in fact the nature of the work is that you’ll always be developing yourself and learning new skills and trends. With that freedom I never really felt anything but full confidence with my portfolio. I felt strongly that Shillington had done an incredible job of giving me the tactical, foundational skills to succeed and my portfolio reflected that. Knowing that, the challenge in the job hunt was finding the right fit for my work style. I loved my job at the Symphony and there I found that I really found my passion, which is print. Although I didn’t enjoy the nature of the work at Sotheby’s, I enjoyed developing processes and I learned about the importance of organization in design and managing expectations. Amazon and the department I work in, Books, is allowing me to be apart of something really incredible as we take Amazon’s 20 plus years of E-Commerce excellency and translate that into the reinvention of the physical retail landscape. It’s challenging, but I’m learning from some of the smartest innovators in retail and it’s the perfect mix of everything I love: design, smart marketing, focused strategy and data. I feel like I’m coming home when I come to work, which isn’t something everyone can say about their job.
What do you love about working as a graphic designer?
That you are ever changing and that your work is malleable. Every day looks different and sometimes messages across different mediums look different and I get to evolve alongside of my work. It also excites me that you’re likely the first touch point for the customer. You have this special opportunity to leverage the message and connect with someone. That moment is brief, but it’s important and you need to be smart about it. I think people see designers as people who create pretty things and have comfy jobs, but it’s so much bigger then that.
Anything else you’d like to share?
This is getting long winded, but don’t be afraid to discover who you are as a designer. I remember feeling really passionately that I was bound to be a studio designer and would get really discouraged if I didn’t get a studio job or felt I didn’t have a “studio” portfolio. I discovered I wasn’t a studio designer but rather a more corporate one; I love customer journey, strategy, data, numbers, etc. That, for me, looked way different then the studio experience and it was okay.
Kelly moved from America to Australia to study design abroad at Shillington. Visit Kelly’s website.
The fact that I could walk away in 3 months with comprehensive skills and be competitive with other designers who had 4 year degrees was the icing on the cake.
Content Manager, Outreach
Kelly Hansen
Why Shillington?
I had just graduated high school the summer before I left for Australia so mainly odd jobs such as a classroom assistant at a local preschool and in-store associate for a pool company. Very, very, groundbreaking work that was difficult to walk away from.
Initially I wanted to be a counselor but I realized I’m far too emotional to be any sort of help. While deciding what to do moving forward I asked some friends if I should consider going to school to become a designer and in short their response was: “Duh.” To them it was “abnormal” to comment on type, layout and have general design commentary running through their mind every time they set foot outdoors or scrolled through the internet. I thought that was something everyone did but apparently it was just me! With that in mind, I took my time researching courses and trying to find one that suited me. I came across Shillington and was all in. The caliber of work that students were releasing in portfolio, the thought and effort that was apparent in both Shillington’s approach to design education as well as how that translated into teaching future designers was unlike anything I was seeing from other school’s. The fact that I could walk away in 3 months with comprehensive skills and be competitive with other designers who had 4 year degrees was the icing on the cake.
After Shillington you worked at the Seattle Symphony, Sotheby’s and now Amazon. How did you find the job hunt? Were you confident with your Shillington portfolio?
I think the beauty of design is the freedom you have to grow, in fact the nature of the work is that you’ll always be developing yourself and learning new skills and trends. With that freedom I never really felt anything but full confidence with my portfolio. I felt strongly that Shillington had done an incredible job of giving me the tactical, foundational skills to succeed and my portfolio reflected that. Knowing that, the challenge in the job hunt was finding the right fit for my work style. I loved my job at the Symphony and there I found that I really found my passion, which is print. Although I didn’t enjoy the nature of the work at Sotheby’s, I enjoyed developing processes and I learned about the importance of organization in design and managing expectations. Amazon and the department I work in, Books, is allowing me to be apart of something really incredible as we take Amazon’s 20 plus years of E-Commerce excellency and translate that into the reinvention of the physical retail landscape. It’s challenging, but I’m learning from some of the smartest innovators in retail and it’s the perfect mix of everything I love: design, smart marketing, focused strategy and data. I feel like I’m coming home when I come to work, which isn’t something everyone can say about their job.
What do you love about working as a graphic designer?
That you are ever changing and that your work is malleable. Every day looks different and sometimes messages across different mediums look different and I get to evolve alongside of my work. It also excites me that you’re likely the first touch point for the customer. You have this special opportunity to leverage the message and connect with someone. That moment is brief, but it’s important and you need to be smart about it. I think people see designers as people who create pretty things and have comfy jobs, but it’s so much bigger then that.
Anything else you’d like to share?
This is getting long winded, but don’t be afraid to discover who you are as a designer. I remember feeling really passionately that I was bound to be a studio designer and would get really discouraged if I didn’t get a studio job or felt I didn’t have a “studio” portfolio. I discovered I wasn’t a studio designer but rather a more corporate one; I love customer journey, strategy, data, numbers, etc. That, for me, looked way different then the studio experience and it was okay.
Kelly moved from America to Australia to study design abroad at Shillington. Visit Kelly’s website.
Claire Grocott
Founder, Studio Kokomo
Winnie Vuong
Junior Designer, HOYTS
Melissa McAuliffe
Exhibition Designer, National Gallery of Victoria
Lauren Horner
Graphic Designer, Hundred Weight Design
Cait Dorombozo
Graphic Designer, DSR Branding
Peter Howell
Freelance Creative
Paul Hallam
Book Designer, Scholastic
Rhys Brennan
Graphic Designer, Romano Beck
Helen Tong
Midweight Designer, Siegel+Gale
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Google
Dana Gendler
Creative Intern, Landor & Fitch
Suparom Ronyut
Designer, Landor & Fitch
Becky Dore
Designer, OnThree
Mason El Hage
Art Director, monopo
Ana Perez
Founder of Anecdota Studio
Claudia Costa
Freelance Graphic Designer
Shireen Roy
Freelance Multidisciplinary Designer
Marc Igbinadolor
Social Media Manager & Content Creator, Diane von Furstenburg
Daniele Regan
Founder of Danibydsgn
Michelle Crocker
Creative Digital Designer, Artlogic
Anuja Shukla
Creative Specialist, Twitter
Jeremy Somers
Founder and Creative Director, We Are Handsome
Jess Mosoph
Junior Creative, Dinosaur
Carolyn Kao
Senior Product Designer, Robinhood
Carl McBride
Designer, Toyfight
Melody Yee
Senior Designer, Lee Matthews
Darsh Seneviratne
Designer, Canva
Matt McKay
Junior Designer, Marks
Ximena Jimenez
Graphic Designer, The Multicultural Centre for Women's Health
Kinda Savarino
Senior Designer, Billion Dollar Boy
Chantel Charchalis
Marketing & Design Manager, CostumeBox
Tom Noon
Design Director, The Midnight Club
Lauren Danger Koste
Studio Manager, The Design Kids
Karina Aslikyan
Freelance Graphic Designer for Music
Karen Liang
Marketing & Design Lead, Dimeo
Ayesha Mansour
Freelance Designer, Aah Yes Studio
Anna Dai
Freelance Graphic Designer
Georgia Latham
Designer & Strategist, Imagist
Natasha Michels
Designer at Nine Publishing and Creative Director at Sweaty City magazine
Mary Lin
Freelance Graphic Designer
Carla Zimbler
VJ and Designer, Tszuj
Wyatt Welles
Freelance Art Director & Designer
Laura Welch
Senior Brand Designer, Upwork
Sophie Bo Schmidt
Freelance UX, Visual & Web Designer
Sivim Ly
Graphic Designer, antidote
Ben Thaler
Senior Brand Designer, Common
Rosylvia Wang
Design and Brand Officer at Historic Houses UK
Liam Speranza
Art Director, THE CHARLES
Em Storey
Freelance Designer
Natalie Taylor
Designer, Mobkoi
Oyinkan Karunwi
Founder & Brand Strategist, Aseda Design Agency
Sylvan Hillebrand
Senior Designer, HarrimanSteel
Maria Vazquez
Freelance Designer and Art Director
Alessandra Conti
Midweight Designer, IRIS
Elizabeth Diffey
Freelance Graphic Designer, Kate McLeod
Majo Crespo
Co-Founder and Strategic Designer, Facético
Lorenzo Mengolini
Senior Product Designer, Revolut
Abbey Swinn
Designer, Special Group
Seyi Ogunlade
Freelance Graphic Designer and Photographer
Rory Knibbs
Designer, The Midnight Club
Jess Goodall
Graphic Designer & Illustator, Belazu
Stephanie Halovanic
Writer, Pinterest
Megan Voo
Product Designer, Linktree
Gerald Torto
Practice Director, Tech, Re
Eman Abdallah
Graphic & Experience Designer, KAIRO
Ariana Villegas
Visual Designer, Ableton
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
Johanna Hagenauer
Senior Product Designer, REA Group
Emily Campos
Senior UX Designer, Checkout.com
Rawin Keo
Senior Designer, DermapenWorld
Mark Osmond
Lead Designer, Whalar
Vanessa Bertagnole
Freelance Multimedia Designer
Araki Koman
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Arwa Al-Salam
Campaigns & Project Manager, Human Appeal
Em Stokes
Freelance Designer, Studio Simple
Veronica Humphris
Digital Designer, Mapway
Leila Bartholet
Senior Web Designer, Human NYC
Jared Worthington
Creative Executive, Tribe Agency
Alexandra Francis
Freelance Graphic Designer & Illustrator
Benjamin Ngooi
Visual Designer, Great Wrap
Sophie Lord
Creative Director, Hello May
Khadijah Adbul Nabi
Creative Director & Brand Strategist, Ya Khadijah
Frankie Young
Design Lead, Driven
Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
Co-Founders, Duzi Studio
Jaira Adlawan
Designer & Art Director, Jaira Mia
Jamie Krups
Design & Communications Manager, BALNCE
Keiran McCann
Design Director, EasyKnock
Greg Bemis
Graphic Designer, Nike
Anastasiia Vinnichenko
Designer, Phantom
Loribeth Kaye
Senior Design Manager, Grab
Megan Dweck
Senior Design Lead, McKinsey & Company
James Freebairn
Graphic Designer, 3 Deep
Irina Manning
Freelance UX Designer/Researcher
Shannon Gordon
Senior Digital Designer, Purpose
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
Ani Monteleone
Senior Art Director, TPN
Caitlin Clancy
Freelance Art Director
Miwako Bishop
Regional Creative Director, The Great Room
Linda Gao
Art Director, WarnerMedia
Will Batrouney
UX/UI Designer, Liquorice
Katie Lodge
Creator, The Creative Lodge
Joseph Lebus
Design Director, Porto Rocha
Jordan Demetriou
Designer, Principals
Hamish Snow
Senior Product Designer, Linktree
Emily Somers
Founder, Bravery Co.
Eleanor Robertson
Middleweight Designer, Here Design
Estefi Panizza
Head of Digital, Death to Stock
Erin Gale
Senior Graphic Designer, Origin Energy
Kylie Meller
Founder, duosista Web and Graphic Design
Yarron Frauenfelder
Lead Designer, Swear Words
Bianca Chu
Senior Designer, Helix Sleep
Bianca Oggiano
Freelance Visual Designer
Christopher J Porter
Creative & Content Lead, Kingdom & Sparrow
Babeth Olde Hanter
Desiger, Doop
Chrystal Christie
Director & Creator, Red Back Rugs
Dominika Stanczyk
Midweight UX/UI Designer, Toyota
Lindsay Koffler
Freelance Designer
Lily Moore
Senior Graphic Designer, Cloudberry Creative
Braden Floris
Product Designer, Lyft
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder, Helio Press
Tahmena Lutfi
Senior Graphic Designer, Qantas
Anara Davletaliyeva
Product Designer, PLAYGROUND XYZ
Tiffany Yee
Freelance Senior Designer & Illustrator
Amy Sheehan
Design Director, Dotdash
Emma Ladlow
Freelance Designer
Alexis Waller
Creative Director, For The People
Halah El Kholy
In-House Designer, Brew Tea Co
Jess White
Freelance Designer
Bobby Hendry
Designer, Brilliant Logic
Lauren Dannenberg
Designer, Penguin Random House
Arnold Omanyo
Freelance Digital Designer
Dawn Moloney
Founder, A Making Life
Caroline Keefe
Freelance Senior Art Director & Designer
Paul and Amoni Liddell
Senior Visual Designer, Westpac CX and Digital Designer, Feel
Meredith Wallis
Founder & Design Director, House of Wallis
Ocki Magill
Owner & Creative Director, Blue Shop Cottage
Anika George
Product Designer, Y Media Labs
Kelly Hansen
Content Manager, Outreach
Alexander Wu-Kim
Concept Creative, ANDPEOPLE Australia
Jing Ong
Designer, Autumn
Kirsten McColl
Freelance Designer
Jackson Todd
Art Director, Van Der Zwaag
Andy Vargas
Designer, Bitâcora
Moshe Bien
Founder, Cramdyn
Crystal Lin
Associate Director of Product Design, Bank of New Zealand
Stephen Grace
Senior Designer, Christopher Doyle & Co.
Andy Tharagonnet
Graphic Designer, DesignScene
Ben Peters
Freelance Graphic Designer
Brad Holten
Senior User Experience Designer, Mastercard
Molly Sitter
Digital Designer, Madewell
Guy Pittard
Freelance Graphic Designer
Bea Sambalido
Co-Founder & Creative Director, Renegade Folk
Peta Harris
Graphic Designer, Macquarie University
Oceane Combeau
Art Director, Stacks
Anna Mullin
Illustrator, Sneaky Racoon
Theo Witrylak
Visual Designer, EPAM
Paul McKie and Myles Sharpe
Directors, Autumn
Pete Conforto
Senior Designer, Canva
Roo Cassels
Creative Director, Big Fish
James Birks
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
David Scott
UXR Lead, hedgehog lab
Jane Durlacher
Freelance Graphic Designer
Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Janno Saft
Founder & Graphic Designer, Frank Wo
Sean Raynor
Graphic Designer, CMA Design
Vanessa Burgess
Communications Designer, ARTC
Olivier Adam
Freelance Graphic Designer
Margherita Baldi
Senior Designer, BORN Group
Tim Jones
Strategy Director, venturethree
Meg Walker
Freelance Digital Designer
Louise Hamer
Digital Director, Nice&Co
Ina Estrada
Founder & Creative Director, Par Vous Designs
Ulrika Johnson
Founder & Designer, Belle Bellette
Lola Irwanto
Design Manager, Princess Polly