Hear straight from our graduates.
Studying at Shillington is up there with the best experiences of my life, and I can say that without even thinking about what it has done for my career.
Freelance Graphic Designer
Sinead Murphy
What does your typical day look like as a designer?
I run my own little design studio called Lovelock Studio in the lovely little seaside town of Port Fairy in Victoria. I usually take my dog for a walk on the river or to the beach, and start thinking about my jobs for the day before I look at any type of screen. Then I’ll do whatever I need to do on the internet before heading to my sans-wi-fi studio (sounds crazy I know, but it has actually been amazing for productivity and creativity!). I share a space with my fiancé who makes furniture so we help each other out with designs and critique each others ideas. I usually do a couple of hours for an animation client, developing concepts and/or storyboards, and I’m usually working on a branding project, which involves sketching until my hand falls off basically, and then refining from there. I do lots of document layouts, print designs, wedding stationery, meet with clients, liaise with printers and then work on personal projects when I need a break from the real things.
What do you love about design?
I love that each project I work on is completely different. Each brief is exciting for different reasons and I feel like the more whacky you get in your development stage, the more you learn. I love that doing all of the things that were once my hobbies-that-I-never-had-time-for, are what I do for work now every day.
How has your experience at Shillington shaped/influenced your career?
I would definitely not be able to work for myself had Shillington not provided a studio environment to work in, tight deadlines and covered content that is so relevant. I feel truly blessed having the amazingly talented and experienced lecturers we had, who pushed us the way that Creative Directors would in the real world. My design style has definitely been shaped by studying at Shillington too—you are encouraged to go nuts in the research and development stage but also taught how to to refine that into something that tells a relevant story to truly answer the brief. It also helped to develop my love of coffee and Friday night beers and break time hula hoop sessions.
Any advice for someone trying to decide if they should sign up for the course?
Studying at Shillington is up there with the best experiences of my life, and I can say that without even thinking about what it has done for my career. The friends I’ve made, the support and direction we were given, the skills we learnt and the sense of achievement I felt at the end of it were worth the outlay of funds 10 times over.
Visit Sinead’s website.
Rachel Urquhart
Founder, Pony Gold Studio
Lori Beth Kaye
Senior Product Designer, The Iconic
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
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
Studying at Shillington is up there with the best experiences of my life, and I can say that without even thinking about what it has done for my career.
Freelance Graphic Designer
Sinead Murphy
What does your typical day look like as a designer?
I run my own little design studio called Lovelock Studio in the lovely little seaside town of Port Fairy in Victoria. I usually take my dog for a walk on the river or to the beach, and start thinking about my jobs for the day before I look at any type of screen. Then I’ll do whatever I need to do on the internet before heading to my sans-wi-fi studio (sounds crazy I know, but it has actually been amazing for productivity and creativity!). I share a space with my fiancé who makes furniture so we help each other out with designs and critique each others ideas. I usually do a couple of hours for an animation client, developing concepts and/or storyboards, and I’m usually working on a branding project, which involves sketching until my hand falls off basically, and then refining from there. I do lots of document layouts, print designs, wedding stationery, meet with clients, liaise with printers and then work on personal projects when I need a break from the real things.
What do you love about design?
I love that each project I work on is completely different. Each brief is exciting for different reasons and I feel like the more whacky you get in your development stage, the more you learn. I love that doing all of the things that were once my hobbies-that-I-never-had-time-for, are what I do for work now every day.
How has your experience at Shillington shaped/influenced your career?
I would definitely not be able to work for myself had Shillington not provided a studio environment to work in, tight deadlines and covered content that is so relevant. I feel truly blessed having the amazingly talented and experienced lecturers we had, who pushed us the way that Creative Directors would in the real world. My design style has definitely been shaped by studying at Shillington too—you are encouraged to go nuts in the research and development stage but also taught how to to refine that into something that tells a relevant story to truly answer the brief. It also helped to develop my love of coffee and Friday night beers and break time hula hoop sessions.
Any advice for someone trying to decide if they should sign up for the course?
Studying at Shillington is up there with the best experiences of my life, and I can say that without even thinking about what it has done for my career. The friends I’ve made, the support and direction we were given, the skills we learnt and the sense of achievement I felt at the end of it were worth the outlay of funds 10 times over.
Visit Sinead’s website.
Dominika Stanczyk
Designer, Open Water
Katie Lodge
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Clemenger BBDO
Jordan Demetriou
Junior Designer, Principals
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder of Helio Press
Emily Somers
Founder, Bravery Co.
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
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