Levelled Up in Motion: Teresa Martignone.

From collecting cereal boxes and CD covers as a child to crafting brand identities as a freelance designer, Teresa Martignone’s creative path has always been fuelled by curiosity and colour.

Growing up surrounded by the rich visual folklore of Latin America, from hand-lettered supermarket signage to the ornate tradition of fileteado porteño, her eye for design was shaped early on.

In this edition of Levelled Up in Motion, Teresa shares how she pushed past self-doubt, embraced the challenge of thinking in motion and returned to Shillington to expand her creative toolkit through the Motion for Graphic Designers course.

It's now your second Shillington feature, once after you graduated our graphic design course and now after graduating our motion course! So let’s rewind a little… What first drew you into the world of design?

Looking back I think I have always been attracted to design. I can clearly remember the cereal boxes, cd covers, magazines and postcards I used to collect as a kid. I was always attracted to bright colours, bold type and especially to smart ways to communicate. I remember thinking it was so clever to put little playing games on the back of cereal boxes and thought whoever came up with that was a genius.

Can you remember any early influences or moments that shaped your creative direction?

I think my work has always been very influenced by the environment I grew up and currently live in. There is so much undercover, handmade design here, like supermarket employees handwriting signage in perfect typography in which any Latin American would recognise anywhere. Or the traditional ¨fileteado porteño¨ style in Argentina.

All these unexpected things that make up the Latin American visual folklore have been and still are my main source of inspiration and reference in design.

What was the turning point that made design your career path, not just a passion?

I had a moment of realisation when I thought that any carerr I choose is going to be scary at times.

I'm going to experience frustration, uncertainty and stress either way, so I'd much rather experience all that while doing (or trying to do) something I love.

What kind of work were you doing before you decided to explore motion?

Mostly design and illustration related to packaging and brand identity.

Why did you choose to return to study and why motion, specifically?

I think as designers it's really important to keep learning and adding to our skillset. Especially as a freelance designer, I'm always looking to upscale what I can offer to my clients. I also sometimes get overwhelmed by how fast AI is growing, and learning new things makes me feel better about it I guess.

What made you choose Shillington’s Motion for Graphic Designers course over other upskilling options?

I chose to come back to Shillington because I loved the Graphic Design Course and trusted that the Motion course would be just as good. When doing the graphic design course everything went from being really scary and doubting myself, to actually being able to come up with a portfolio I was really proud about, so when I felt scared to tackle learning motion, Shillington seemed like the obvious choice.

How did you find balancing the course with your existing professional and personal commitments?

It's intense, but manageable.

I did find it to be very adaptable to what amount of time each student can dedicate to it and it shows. It's also a short period of time, so if it's ever a bit loaded, it doesn't get to the point of being too tiresome.

Were there any standout moments, breakthroughs or challenges that stuck with you?

The course was actually pretty challenging in general to me. Not so much in learning how to work with new software, but more so in realising how different it is to think in motion, and how untrained I had that part of my brain. In that sense, the course was a bit of a mental workout for me, and I always find it impressive when we can develop those new abilities as if they were muscles.

If you could go back and give yourself one piece of advice before starting, what would it be?

Chill. Don´t be embarrassed, everyone is feeling challenged.

Did you consider self-teaching or other platforms before committing to a structured course?

Not really, I opened the rocket ship command that is After Effects once and thought you know what? Never mind.

How did this learning experience compare to any other training you’ve done in the past?

One of my favourite parts about this and the graphic design course is the working time we get in class. It has always been such valuable time to be able to work on my projects while bouncing ideas and doubts back and forth not only with teachers but also with fellow students. It makes independent learning hours a lot less stressful and overwhelming.

Which moment in your Motion Major Project are you particularly proud of and why?

All of it. The simple fact of having been able to submit a Motion Major Project made me extremely proud because there were real moments of struggle throughout the process, and even quitting thoughts. Even to this day I can't believe I did it all, and that's an amazing feeling.

Where are you looking for inspiration now that you’re thinking in motion?

I have started to notice motion a lot more in my daily life, and that's where I get the most inspiration. Maybe I'll be opening an app on my phone and thinking how the curves on the loading icon must look for it to move that way.

Inspired by Teresa’s journey? Shillington’s Motion for Graphic Designers course is designed to help creatives like you bring static designs to life, no previous motion experience required. You’ll learn industry-standard tools like After Effects, master the art of storytelling through movement, and graduate with a motion showreel that showcases your new skills.

Whether you’re a designer looking to stay competitive or simply curious about motion, now’s the perfect time to level up. Our next Motion course kicks off in April 2026, and spots are limited.

👉 Explore the Motion course and apply today.