30 Years of Shillington: John Palowski.

As Shillington’s Director of Curriculum, John Palowski has played a key role in shaping the way thousands of students experience design education. With over a decade of teaching and creative direction behind him, John understands exactly what makes a Shillington studio come alive.

In this interview, he reflects on one of his most memorable moments, a class that captured the true spirit of Shillington: creativity, collaboration, and that contagious studio energy that keeps everyone inspired. It’s a story that reminds us what design education is really about: community, connection, and the joy of creating together.

John, what brought you to Shillington, and what’s kept you here?

I came to Shillington in 2009 to turn my design hobby into a real career. After studying, I stayed involved through grad sessions and after 4 years of industry experience I started teaching. Over the years, I’ve travelled between campuses, trained teachers, grown into curriculum leadership, developed courses and shaped strategy. What’s kept me here is the constant variety and challenge. Every class and project feels fresh, exciting, and deeply rewarding.

How has Shillington changed or evolved since you joined?

Shillington has evolved a lot in the 14 years I’ve been here: moving online, adding more strategy, digital tools and now AI. But the core principles remain the same: staying practical, relevant, and life-changing for students. The sense of community, the passion of teachers, and the focus on student experience have never wavered. Seeing portfolios adapt with industry trends & how we’ve expanded to include a Motion course cements our strong position as an industry-leading educational establishment.

What’s one memory from your time here that still makes you smile?

The spring / summer of 2014. It was my fifth cohort so I was leading the classroom alongside another experienced teacher and creative director, Jeffrey Bowman. It was one of those times where everything just clicked.

The students were on it. Properly driven and up for it every day. It felt like a real studio environment where everyone was pushing, learning, having a bawl and making good work. By Friday we’d all earned a drink, so we’d head out together and celebrate a solid week.

The portfolios that came out of that class were strong, but it wasn’t just about the work. It was the energy in the room, the friendships that formed, the buzz. That group set the standard for me. It showed what a Shillington class can really feel like when everyone’s in it together.

Even now, with more of our teaching happening online, we still find ways to bring that same energy back. We’ve done meet-ups in New York and London, and hopefully more to come.

Some of John's memories (looks like Photoshop helped out):

What do you love most about teaching design?

I love diving into the nitty-gritty of design and helping students see it click in their own work. Watching their ideas come to life, then pushing them further and helping them weaponise their creativity, well it’s just all good for the soul.

How have you seen design education change over the years?

Design education outside Shillington often feels like the Wild West as universities struggle to keep up and while online tutorials are useful, they don’t give the full picture or contextual application. Shillington has always focused on community-based learning, passionate teachers and practical, real-world context. Students see how to apply what they learn and leave ready for a career and even moving online hasn’t weakened that approach.

What’s one piece of advice you find yourself giving to every student?

Give it your all. Immerse yourself, live and breathe design, question, discuss, and soak up everything like a sponge. The more fully you commit, the faster things click, and the more prepared you’ll be to step confidently into the industry.

What does 30 years of Shillington mean to you personally?

It feels deeply personal as over half of it has shaped my career. We’re doing something right if we’ve been around for so long, overcoming challenges and staying ambitious. I’ve worked with so many amazing people, old and new and that energy transfers straight into the classroom. It gives me focus, excitement and confidence for the future.

What’s something unique about the Shillington experience that hasn’t changed, and shouldn’t?

Our connection to industry.

That’s what makes Shillington tick. Our teachers are active designers, not just academics. Guest lecturers drop in to share their stories and real-world insight. We stay close to what’s happening out there, constantly researching, updating and refining what we teach to keep it relevant.

We’ve always operated more like a studio than a school. There’s no red tape or layers of bureaucracy. If something needs to change to make the course better, we do it. That openness keeps us sharp and our students’ portfolios aligned with industry standards.

Without those connections we’d just be working in a bubble. Instead, our students graduate already plugged into the real world, from the feedback they get during the course to the portfolio reviews at the end. Those relationships, that honesty and immediacy are what define the Shillington experience.

How do you think design education will evolve over the next 30 years?

Looking back over the past 30 years, design education has already changed in ways that would have seemed impossible in the 90s. Photoshop only came to Windows in ’93 and technology has since completely reshaped how we work, communicate and create. Today we have AI, tools like Figma and digital workflows that were unimaginable three decades ago.

Looking ahead, the pace of change will only accelerate. In 30 years, who knows, maybe some of us will have their brain chipped where education is just a single download away. Yet no matter how advanced technology becomes, humans will remain at the heart of design education. Connecting, storytelling, and understanding human experiences will be more important than ever. Good design education will evolve to keep up, using technology to make learning faster, more accessible and more efficient, while still focusing on people, creativity and human insight.

And finally. If you could describe Shillington in one word, what would it be and why?

Trustworthy.

Students bet on us to shape their future, and we show up for them every day and every cohort. We care, we deliver, and we’re always getting better, making sure our education hits the mark and keeps evolving with the industry.

Thirty years on, Shillington’s mission remains the same: to empower people everywhere to unlock their creativity and build a career they love. Our course was created in 1996, and from our first studio in 1997 to a global network of designers today, we’ve seen thousands of students transform their lives through design.

Whether it’s through our Graphic Design Course or Motion Design Course, Shillington continues to provide a hands-on, industry-focused education that helps students turn creative potential into professional success.

As we celebrate three decades of design, we’re more inspired than ever by the passion, imagination, and ambition of our community. Here’s to 30 years of creativity and to shaping the next generation of designers around the world.