Hear straight from our graduates.
My teachers and classmates helped me believe in myself and that changed everything.
Designer, Human Appeal
Arwa Al-Salam
Shillington wasn’t your first foray into design, you’ve been a freelance designer since 2012. Why did you choose to study at Shillington? How did the course build your skill set?
Shillington was the missing piece for me for so long. I came across it about 4 years ago, as I wanted to learn about graphic design in an official setting, but my son was quite young at the time so I felt it wasn’t right for me. Fast forward a few years and I had more experience designing, but lacking something that gave me the confidence to apply for design roles and make a living doing what I loved. I went into Shillington feeling confident on the technical side, that was never the reason I joined, and I still learnt so much more. I was a self taught designer, so I felt I needed to go back to the basics of design theory and design thinking, and that’s exactly what I got out of it. I came out with much more than I had hoped to gain.
What have you been up to since graduation? How has your life changed after Shillington?
I was very lucky that I got a job straight out of Shillington—I started my current job about 2 weeks after graduation, and I know it sounds cheesy but it has truly changed my life. For the first few months at Shillington, I struggled with my confidence and I really didn’t think I would get a design job. My teachers and classmates helped me believe in myself and that changed everything. I started applying for jobs while I was still studying, I wanted to test the waters and be 100% ready post graduation.
Did you enjoy studying part-time? Were you able to continue working on your own projects during the course?
Part-time was the only option for me due to my son being at school—I loved it. Though it meant a longer time commitment, it also meant I had the time to fully take in everything I was learning. I wanted to really make the most of the course so everything in my life was put on hold. I was lucky enough that that was an option, and I’m so grateful to my family who helped make it happen.
What was your biggest challenge during the course? Why?
One of the things, as I mentioned was that I didn’t have a life for 9 months! I knew it would be worth it, but it felt difficult at times. And again, my confidence was letting me down at times, I couldn’t believe that I would be graduating with a portfolio that looked like the portfolios I’d been shown throughout the course. It just felt unattainable—until I trusted the process and the teachers that they knew what they were doing and that it was possible with hard work.
Who were your teachers and what were the most important lessons they taught you?
My teachers were Martin Power and Dave Bird. Among countless other things, they changed the way I thought about the design industry and about my work. They helped me dig deep into the potential I didn’t know I had and taught me to channel it in the best possible way. They also encouraged me to reach out to people I admire in the industry. I’m an introvert by nature, so I struggled with that a little, but once I connected with a few people it made me realise how lucky we are to exist in this small design world. I’m forever grateful to them for all of that.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
My advice would be to immerse yourself in it, learn as much as possible from your teachers and class mates. Ask 1000 questions (heaven knows I did!). It’s a temporary journey, and the more you gain in that time, the more it’ll benefit you on your next step. And don’t stop researching, try to decide what your next steps are before you graduate, I believe that helped me a lot.
Visit Arwa’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
My teachers and classmates helped me believe in myself and that changed everything.
Designer, Human Appeal
Arwa Al-Salam
Shillington wasn’t your first foray into design, you’ve been a freelance designer since 2012. Why did you choose to study at Shillington? How did the course build your skill set?
Shillington was the missing piece for me for so long. I came across it about 4 years ago, as I wanted to learn about graphic design in an official setting, but my son was quite young at the time so I felt it wasn’t right for me. Fast forward a few years and I had more experience designing, but lacking something that gave me the confidence to apply for design roles and make a living doing what I loved. I went into Shillington feeling confident on the technical side, that was never the reason I joined, and I still learnt so much more. I was a self taught designer, so I felt I needed to go back to the basics of design theory and design thinking, and that’s exactly what I got out of it. I came out with much more than I had hoped to gain.
What have you been up to since graduation? How has your life changed after Shillington?
I was very lucky that I got a job straight out of Shillington—I started my current job about 2 weeks after graduation, and I know it sounds cheesy but it has truly changed my life. For the first few months at Shillington, I struggled with my confidence and I really didn’t think I would get a design job. My teachers and classmates helped me believe in myself and that changed everything. I started applying for jobs while I was still studying, I wanted to test the waters and be 100% ready post graduation.
Did you enjoy studying part-time? Were you able to continue working on your own projects during the course?
Part-time was the only option for me due to my son being at school—I loved it. Though it meant a longer time commitment, it also meant I had the time to fully take in everything I was learning. I wanted to really make the most of the course so everything in my life was put on hold. I was lucky enough that that was an option, and I’m so grateful to my family who helped make it happen.
What was your biggest challenge during the course? Why?
One of the things, as I mentioned was that I didn’t have a life for 9 months! I knew it would be worth it, but it felt difficult at times. And again, my confidence was letting me down at times, I couldn’t believe that I would be graduating with a portfolio that looked like the portfolios I’d been shown throughout the course. It just felt unattainable—until I trusted the process and the teachers that they knew what they were doing and that it was possible with hard work.
Who were your teachers and what were the most important lessons they taught you?
My teachers were Martin Power and Dave Bird. Among countless other things, they changed the way I thought about the design industry and about my work. They helped me dig deep into the potential I didn’t know I had and taught me to channel it in the best possible way. They also encouraged me to reach out to people I admire in the industry. I’m an introvert by nature, so I struggled with that a little, but once I connected with a few people it made me realise how lucky we are to exist in this small design world. I’m forever grateful to them for all of that.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
My advice would be to immerse yourself in it, learn as much as possible from your teachers and class mates. Ask 1000 questions (heaven knows I did!). It’s a temporary journey, and the more you gain in that time, the more it’ll benefit you on your next step. And don’t stop researching, try to decide what your next steps are before you graduate, I believe that helped me a lot.
Visit Arwa’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
Ximena Jimenez
Web Designer at Blackmagic Design
Matt McKay
Designer at Kensa Creative
Kinda Savarino
Designer at Billion Dollar Boy
Chantel Charchalis
Marketing and Content Creator at The Dog Mum
Tom Noon
Freelance Graphic Designer
Lauren Danger Koste
Studio Manager at The Design Kids
Karina Aslikyan
Freelance Graphic Designer
Robyn M-C
Freelance Graphic Designer
Lauren Stevens
Freelance Graphic Designer/ Junior Designer at NRMA
Karen Liang
Learning Experience Designer at Standards Australia
Ayesha Mansour
Freelance Designer, Aah Yes Studio
Anna Dai
Freelance Graphic Designer
Georgia Latham
Intern at Imagist
Natasha Michels
Designer at Nine Publishing and Creative Director at Sweaty City magazine
Mary Lin
Graphic Designer, Colette Werden
Carla Zimbler
VJ and Designer, Tszuj
Wyatt Welles
Freelance Graphic Designer
Laura Welch
Enviromental Designer at Sundance Film Festival
Sophie Bo Schmidt
Senior UX Consultant at PeakXD
Sivim Ly
Junior Graphic Designer at Loeffler Randall
Ben Thaler
Junior Designer at Common
Rosylvia Wang
Design and Brand Officer at Historic Houses UK
Liam Speranza
Associate Design Manager at Tushy
Em Storey
Junior Designer, NU Creative
Natalie Taylor
Designer, Mobkoi
Ella Caseley
Winner of the Shillington x Champion Agency Scholarship
Oyinkan Karunwi
Founder at Aseda Design Agency
Sylvan Hillebrand
Midweight Creative at HarrimanSteel
Maria Vazquez
Freelance Designer and Art Director
Alessandra Conti
Designer, RAPP
Elizabeth Diffey
Freelance Graphic Designer, Spotify
Majo Crespo
Co-Founder and Strategic Designer, Facético
Lorenzo Mengolini
UX Designer, AKQA
Abbey Swinn
Designer, Frost*collective
Angeline Chan
Communications Specialist, The University of Melbourne
Julia Hoolahan
Art Director, Home Beautiful
Seyi Ogunlade
Freelance Graphic Designer and Photographer
Rory Knibbs
Designer, The Midnight Club
Jess Goodall
Digital Designer, Pistachio Design
Stephanie Halovanic
Creative Producer, &Walsh
Megan Voo
UX/UI & Content Designer, Ignite Online
Gerald Torto
Strategist, Re Agency
Eman Abdallah
Graphic & Experience Designer, KAIRO
Ariana Villegas
Designer, Simplecast
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
Johanna Hagenauer
Brand / Product Designer, Rexlabs
Kris Klein
Experience Design + Videography at AKQA
Emily Campos
UX Designer, Wix
Rawin Keo
Lead Graphic Designer, Dermalogica
Mark Osmond
Designer, Thumbs Up!
Vanessa Bertagnole
Graphic Multimedia Designer, Surf Life Saving Queensland
Araki Koman
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Arwa Al-Salam
Designer, Human Appeal
Benny Hinman
Designer, Frost*collective
Em Stokes
Junior Designer, MOO
Veronica Humphris
Digital Designer, Mapway
Leila Bartholet
Designer, Chandelier
Jared Worthington
Designer at Media Playground
Alexandra Francis
Designer, Flow Creative
Benjamin Ngooi
Graphic Designer, Cox Architecture
Sophie Lord
Creative Director, Hello May
Khadijah Adbul Nabi
Freelance Graphic Designer
Frankie Young
Founder, Studio Neubau
Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
Co-Founders, Studio Duzi
Amy Forsyth
Graphic Designer, Alfresco Emporium
Jaira Adlawan
Senior Visual Designer, Sephora
Jamie Krups
Creative at Stab Magazine
Keiran McCann
Graphic Designer, Victoria’s Secret
Greg Bemis
Creative, Nike
Anastasiia Vinnichenko
Designer, ToyFight
Lori Beth Kaye
Senior Product Designer, The Iconic
Megan Dweck
Visual Designer, McKinsey & Company
James Freebairn
Junior Graphic Designer, Dark Mofo
Irina Manning
UX Designer, Manning Labs
Shannon Gordon
Designer, R/GA
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
Lauren Koste
Freelance Designer and Craft Beer Specialist
Ani Monteleone
Designer, The Wall Street Journal
Caitlin Clancy
Designer, The New York Times
Miwako Suzuki
Integrated Creative Director
Linda Gao
Designer, HBO
Rachel Urquhart
Founder, Pony Gold Studio
Will Batrouney
Graphic Designer, Ignite Online
Ellie Pinney
Freelance Designer
Katie Lodge
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Joseph Lebus
Designer, Made Thought
Jordan Demetriou
Junior Designer, Principals
Hamish Snow
Product Designer, Rexlabs
Emily Somers
Founder, Bravery Co.
Eleanor Robertson
Designer, Paul Belford Ltd
Estefi Panizza
Junior Designer, Design Bridge
Erin Gale
Designer, Target
Kylie Meller
Founder, duosista Web and Graphic Design
Yarron Frauenfelder
Design Director
Bianca Chu
Senior Designer, eBay
Bianca Oggiano
Designer, FutureBrand
Alexander Rog
Junior Designer, oOh!
Christopher J Porter
Designer, I See Sea
Babeth Olde Hanter
Junior Art Director, SOV
Chrystal Christie
Photographer/Graphic Designer, One Round Entertainment
Tally Thompson
Graphic Designer, Awesome Creative
Dominika Stanczyk
Designer, Open Water
Lindsay Koffler
Graphic Designer, Refinery29
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Clemenger BBDO
Lily Moore
Designer at Sotheby’s
Braden Floris
Designer, GoFundMe
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder of Helio Press
Tahmena Lutfi
Digital Designer, Qantas and Jetstar Hotels
Anara Davletaliyeva
UX Designer and Developer, Appliances Online
Tiffany Yee
Designer, Forever 21
Amy Sheehan
Art Director, Insider Inc.
Emma Ladlow
Designer, University of Nottingham Students' Union
Alexis Waller
Design Director, R/GA
Halah El Kholy
In-House Designer, Brew Tea Co
Jess White
Junior Graphic Designer, Just Media Design
Bobby Hendry
Designer, Brilliant Logic
Jessica Bakker
Junior Graphic Designer, Beyond Communications
Lauren Dannenberg
Designer, Mary's Group
Arnold Omanyo
UX/UI Designer, Digital on Demand
Dawn Moloney
Founder, A Making Life
Miranda Mayne
Freelance Graphic Designer
Caroline Keefe
Freelance, Nickelodeon
Paul and Amoni Liddell
Graphic Designers, Westpac CX and Feel
Meredith Wallis
Designer, King & Partners
Ocki Magill
Founder, Letter Bug Studios
Victoire Scherer
Junior Graphic Designer, Neoscape
Anika George
Designer, AKQA
Liana Modolo
UX Designer, Rex Software
Kelly Hansen
Graphic Designer, Amazon Books
Mikel McCavana
Designer, Moment
Alexander Wu-Kim
Concept Creative, ANDPEOPLE Australia
Jing Ong
Designer, Autumn
Kirsten McColl
Designer, WH-O
Nicole Rogers
Designer, Birchbox
Pooja Dharia
Branding Designer, FCB Health
Erin Donati
Founder, Harley Quinn & Co.
Jackson Todd
Art Director, Van Der Zwaag
Andy Vargas
Designer, Bitâcora
Moshe Bien
Designer, Nucleus
Crystal Lin
Designer, DNA Design
Stephen Grace
Designer, Christopher Doyle & Co.
Eleanor Rogers
Letterpress Printer, Chapel Press
Andy Tharagonnet
Designer, ThumbsUp
Ben Peters
Freelance Graphic Designer
Brad Holten
Designer, Big Idea
Natalia Baker
Freelance Graphic Designer
Molly Sitter
Studio Designer, Spring St. Social Society
Guy Pittard
Freelance Graphic Designer
Bea Sambalido
Freelance Graphic Designer
Peta Harris
Graphic Designer, Macquarie University
Oceane Combeau
Designer, Fernand et Firmin
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
Roo Cassels
Designer, Big Fish
Nicol Reid
Founder, Little Creative
James Birks
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
David Scott
Designer, The Mix
Jane Durlacher
Graphic Designer, Paper Stone Scissors
Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Janno Saft
Founder, frank wo
Sean Raynor
Designer, Watermark Studio
Vanessa Burgess
Graphic Designer, Tritium
Olivier Adam
Freelance Graphic Designer
Cari Sekendur
Art Director, LMNOP Creative
Alexandra Menzies
Freelance Graphic Designer
Margherita Baldi
Freelance Visual 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
Sam Jacobs
Senior Designer, Time Inc.
Ulrika Johnson
Designer, Fantasia Accessories
Henriette van Baren
Graphic Designer, ABC Carpet & Home
Charly Tudor
Graphic Designer, Holdens
Lola Irwanto
Graphic Designer, Princess Polly