2 Years Since Shillington: Sophie Bott.

Sophie Bott took Shillington's graphic design course in May 2024, spending half of it working from a van travelling around Europe.

Since then she's cold-emailed her way into a studio job in New Zealand, wrapped a Toyota drag car in vintage racing livery and set up her own analogue design studio. In this interview she shares why saying yes to everything, trusting that less is more and getting away from the laptop have shaped the designer she's becoming.

Hey Sophie! On your very first day, what were you most nervous about and how did that play out?

To be totally honest, before starting I was most nervous about taking a remote graphic design course and whether I'd get as much out of it as an in-person one. I'd been at uni over Covid and struggled when everything was suddenly moved online. Shillington was totally different, though. It's so well structured and completely set up for remote classes, and there were so many benefits to it being an online course. I spent about half of the three-month course working from a van travelling around Europe. I'd always known I wanted to work a remote job, so it was a really good way to test whether that way of working suited me without committing to a real job first.

What skills or mindset did you develop at Shillington that you use every single day now?

Shillington was amazing at giving us a thorough understanding of all the important graphic design apps that I use every single day. For example, with the Adobe suite there are 100 different ways to reach the same end goal. Before Shillington I'd taught myself a bit, but I was so much slower and less efficient. At Shillington everything is streamlined and you learn best practice, which is exactly what you need when working for real-life clients.

Sophie's Brand Identity Start-Up brief at Shillington, Topo.

What's one piece of feedback you received from a teacher or classmate that changed your work for the better?

One of the biggest lessons I took from Shillington is that often less is more. Before Shillington I felt like I needed to cram in all the information and add way too much clutter to my designs. I learnt to trust that less is more and that breathing space makes things easier to digest. This has also been really important as a freelancer. Clients often want to add so much extra information, but showing them that less is more almost always looks better.

Has your favourite portfolio project changed since graduating? If so, why and how?

I still chop and change and use some of my Shillington portfolio pieces when I'm sending my portfolio out. Personally, my favourite portfolio project now is from my time working at Sign It Signs in New Zealand. One of my favourite projects there was a vintage racing wrap I was asked to design and make for a Toyota drag car. I had total creative freedom and the client was keen for anything. Everything was designed and made in-house, and I even got to see the car being raced up a mountain once it was finished. I think it's because this was a real-life project that I could see in reality, and that's why I love it so much. It always feels really rewarding to see projects I've worked on out in the real world.

How did you land your first opportunity (big or small)? What opened that door?

My first opportunity came from sending out lots of cold emails. I'd been on a surf trip in NZ and realised I really wanted an excuse to go back and live and work there, so I sent out as many emails as I could to anything even remotely creative. Luckily I got a job at Sign It Signs in Queenstown. It was a proper baptism of fire, but I learnt so much, and working there has been one of the biggest highlights of my career. Since completing Shillington I've felt a lot more confident to back myself and my skills, and that's half the battle when you're putting yourself out there and applying for jobs. I'll always say yes to any opportunity that comes my way, as you never know where it might lead. I had a 10-month stint as a creative artworker for a corporate company in London, which I got through the traditional job-application route, but other than that, any work I've had has come through word of mouth.

Sophie's Packaging brief at Shillington, Bow Wow.

What's something you learned in the industry that you wish you knew while studying?

I've found that when working on projects that involve multiple people, different teams and lots of different opinions, it can be really hard to work efficiently, and you have to be very flexible with the workflow. It's really important to set boundaries that people stick to. A few times I've been stuck on a slippery slope trying to juggle so many different things all at once, and that increases the pressure, making it a lot harder to be creative.

Where do you go when you feel creatively stuck? Tools, people, routines or spaces?

Whenever I feel creatively stuck, I get away from my laptop and into nature. Whilst I'm working I always take lots of conscious breaks to clear my mind, and some of the things I do probably aren't very conventional. I have a slackline, a mini trampoline and a vegetable garden that I spend a lot of time in. I often find that when I'm totally free, I have a eureka moment and can then move past my creative block.

How has design influenced the way you see everyday life? Brands, objects, cities, culture?

For as long as I can remember I've had an interest in arts and design. DT and art were always my favourite subjects at school. I think studying at Shillington, and then working as part of a marketing and creative team at different companies, means I now really appreciate the amount of time and effort that goes into making different assets, and often the simplest-looking ones take the most work. Working at Sign It Signs in NZ was also really eye-opening: I saw a vast array of different projects and just how much design really is everywhere. I always knew I wanted to pursue my love of creativity, and completing Shillington was the perfect springboard to give me the foundations to really find my passion. I think everyone has natural creative talents, and learning the theory and fundamentals behind design can make a huge difference in growing as a designer.

What's a creative risk you took recently that paid off?

Since I'm quite new to freelancing, I've just been saying yes to absolutely everything. I was asked to make some sketch animations for a mountain biking video premiere, which felt very far out of my comfort zone because I hadn't done much animation and they wanted it in a very specific sketch style. It was really fun to watch the premiere. Sometimes, when it's your own work, it's hard to feel satisfied by it, but it's really nice to see other people enjoying it. I've also been trying to do as much design as possible using off-screen techniques. I've set up Word of Mouth Studio, which is an analogue design studio. I don't promote anything on social media and it's just beginning, but I've been marketing it using lino prints and other off-screen techniques. I've found that in the world of super-fast, trend-led content creation, people really love having something tangible that isn't 100% perfect and has some character. I love this, as I feel I can be at my most creative when I have as much freedom as possible.

If you could collaborate with anyone (a brand, studio, artist, cause) who would it be and why?

Some of my favourite and most exciting projects have been the ones I least expected to really love. At the moment I'm saying yes to any opportunity that comes my way. I'd love to collaborate with a cause that combines my passions of community, creativity, growing vegetables and inspiring people to look up from their phones. For me, the people I work with matter most. It could be the most mundane project, but if I love working with the people, nothing can beat it.

Looking ahead, what kind of designer do you hope to become?

With my background in product design, my love of analogue design techniques and my love of adventure and the outdoors, I hope I can continue working freelance but on more projects like these. The diversity of lots of different projects is what I really love, so it's quite hard to say what I hope to become. I think it'll just keep evolving.

And finally. Imagine your dream day five years from now. What does your creative life look and feel like?

Five years from now I'll be 30. I hope I still have the flexibility of freelance working, and that I get to spend as much time as possible in nature and on adventures, travelling all around the world. I think that's where most of my inspiration comes from. I hope I don't have to spend too much time sitting at my laptop and can be working on physical, real-world projects.

A van, a laptop and a willingness to learn took Sophie from nervous beginner to freelance designer wrapping race cars on the other side of the world.

Whatever your version of that adventure looks like, it starts with the fundamentals. Shillington gave Sophie the confidence and the skills to chase hers, in a matter of months rather than years.

If her story has you thinking about your own, our graphic design course could be where it begins.