Hear straight from our graduates.
Believe in yourself—you are better than you think you are. Embrace criticism and don’t take it personally. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Freelance UX Designer/Researcher
Irina Manning
Irina Manning studied at Shillington New York
What were you up to before Shillington and why did you decide to study design?
I studied foreign languages at a university and have a degree in linguistics and literature. I have always enjoyed languages. I speak English, Russian, French, German, Spanish and Italian. But I also have always found myself doing something creative as a hobby: photography, drawing, painting, creative writing, calligraphy—you name it. So, when I moved to New York City—with all the inspiration and opportunities it has to offer—I decided to try myself in the creative world. I wanted to follow my dream but I also wanted to be practical. In other words, I wanted my new dream profession to be fun for me but also in demand and well-paid. After a lot of research, I made a decision to become a UX designer. That’s how I ended up at Shillington. The Shillington graphic design course gave me everything I needed to start my creative journey.
You studied in the full-time course in New York. Can you tell us about your experience?
It was absolutely fantastic. First of all, I loved the way the course is structured. I was completely new to design and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I shouldn’t have worried. The course assumes that everyone is a beginner. It starts with the very basics and gradually progresses to more and more advanced topics. Second, the course is mainly focused on practical tasks and gives very little (but just enough) theory. The learning process basically emulates the working atmosphere of professional designers—with all the challenges, pressure, deadlines, design critiques and team-work. It was so inspiring. Third, the teachers are awesome. Dedicated, talented, knowledgeable. They encouraged us, helped us, supported us every step of the way. I wouldn’t have done it without Peter and Cindy. Last but not least, the location. I was a design student in New. York. City. Need I say more?
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about studying at Shillington?
I couldn’t recommend Shillington more highly to anyone thinking of changing careers. The course is a great alternative to a college education. It is not too long, affordable, and of great quality. However, make no mistake—it is indeed an intensive course. Be ready to work very hard, to challenge yourself in every way, to live and breathe graphic design for the duration of the course.
What do you love about being a UX designer? What was it like launching your own company, Manning Labs?
I love UX design because it is both creative and technical. I get to be a part of both the creative and the development processes. There is so much to UX design. It’s challenging and versatile. A good UX designer needs to be able to wear a lot of hats. Design, programming, psychology, marketing, copywriting, information architecture, content strategy, user research—we need to know it all. It never gets boring! Second, I love the flexibility of my job. I get to choose my own clients and projects to work on. I craft my own schedule. I can work from home or from anywhere in the world for that matter! Last year I spent three months traveling around Europe while at the same time working successfully on a very important project for a Fortune 500 company. Now, I am a new mom and I get to be home with my baby and work remotely. It’s great! And finally, UX design is in high demand. Finding an exciting job has never been a problem. And it pays very well.
Starting Manning Labs felt very natural. My husband is a talented mobile developer. We have been working on numerous creative projects together for a while—several of which are profitable mobile applications. Together we make a perfect team—quality design and great code. Occasionally, when there is too much work, we hire help. When the products we launched got publicity, it just made sense to make it official and put a brand on the services we offer as a team.
Read Irina’s guest post on the Shillington Blog on how she became a UX designer in less than a year.
Believe in yourself—you are better than you think you are. Embrace criticism and don’t take it personally. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Freelance UX Designer/Researcher
Irina Manning
Irina Manning studied at Shillington New York
What were you up to before Shillington and why did you decide to study design?
I studied foreign languages at a university and have a degree in linguistics and literature. I have always enjoyed languages. I speak English, Russian, French, German, Spanish and Italian. But I also have always found myself doing something creative as a hobby: photography, drawing, painting, creative writing, calligraphy—you name it. So, when I moved to New York City—with all the inspiration and opportunities it has to offer—I decided to try myself in the creative world. I wanted to follow my dream but I also wanted to be practical. In other words, I wanted my new dream profession to be fun for me but also in demand and well-paid. After a lot of research, I made a decision to become a UX designer. That’s how I ended up at Shillington. The Shillington graphic design course gave me everything I needed to start my creative journey.
You studied in the full-time course in New York. Can you tell us about your experience?
It was absolutely fantastic. First of all, I loved the way the course is structured. I was completely new to design and was afraid I wouldn’t be able to keep up. I shouldn’t have worried. The course assumes that everyone is a beginner. It starts with the very basics and gradually progresses to more and more advanced topics. Second, the course is mainly focused on practical tasks and gives very little (but just enough) theory. The learning process basically emulates the working atmosphere of professional designers—with all the challenges, pressure, deadlines, design critiques and team-work. It was so inspiring. Third, the teachers are awesome. Dedicated, talented, knowledgeable. They encouraged us, helped us, supported us every step of the way. I wouldn’t have done it without Peter and Cindy. Last but not least, the location. I was a design student in New. York. City. Need I say more?
What would you say to someone who’s thinking about studying at Shillington?
I couldn’t recommend Shillington more highly to anyone thinking of changing careers. The course is a great alternative to a college education. It is not too long, affordable, and of great quality. However, make no mistake—it is indeed an intensive course. Be ready to work very hard, to challenge yourself in every way, to live and breathe graphic design for the duration of the course.
What do you love about being a UX designer? What was it like launching your own company, Manning Labs?
I love UX design because it is both creative and technical. I get to be a part of both the creative and the development processes. There is so much to UX design. It’s challenging and versatile. A good UX designer needs to be able to wear a lot of hats. Design, programming, psychology, marketing, copywriting, information architecture, content strategy, user research—we need to know it all. It never gets boring! Second, I love the flexibility of my job. I get to choose my own clients and projects to work on. I craft my own schedule. I can work from home or from anywhere in the world for that matter! Last year I spent three months traveling around Europe while at the same time working successfully on a very important project for a Fortune 500 company. Now, I am a new mom and I get to be home with my baby and work remotely. It’s great! And finally, UX design is in high demand. Finding an exciting job has never been a problem. And it pays very well.
Starting Manning Labs felt very natural. My husband is a talented mobile developer. We have been working on numerous creative projects together for a while—several of which are profitable mobile applications. Together we make a perfect team—quality design and great code. Occasionally, when there is too much work, we hire help. When the products we launched got publicity, it just made sense to make it official and put a brand on the services we offer as a team.
Read Irina’s guest post on the Shillington Blog on how she became a UX designer in less than a year.
Lauren Horner
Graphic Designer, Hundred Weight Design
Cait Dorombozo
Graphic Designer, DSR Branding
Peter Howell
Freelance Creative
Paul Hallam
Book Designer, Scholastic
Rhys Brennan
Graphic Designer, Romano Beck
Helen Tong
Midweight Designer, Siegel+Gale
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Google
Dana Gendler
Creative Intern, Landor & Fitch
Suparom Ronyut
Designer, Landor & Fitch
Becky Dore
Designer, OnThree
Mason El Hage
Art Director, monopo
Ana Perez
Founder of Anecdota Studio
Claudia Costa
Freelance Graphic Designer
Shireen Roy
Freelance Multidisciplinary Designer
Marc Igbinadolor
Social Media Manager & Content Creator, Diane von Furstenburg
Daniele Regan
Founder of Danibydsgn
Michelle Crocker
Creative Digital Designer, Artlogic
Anuja Shukla
Creative Specialist, Twitter
Jeremy Somers
Founder and Creative Director, We Are Handsome
Jess Mosoph
Junior Creative, Dinosaur
Carolyn Kao
Senior Product Designer, Robinhood
Carl McBride
Designer, Toyfight
Melody Yee
Senior Designer, Lee Matthews
Darsh Seneviratne
Designer, Canva
Matt McKay
Junior Designer, Marks
Ximena Jimenez
Graphic Designer, The Multicultural Centre for Women's Health
Kinda Savarino
Senior Designer, Billion Dollar Boy
Chantel Charchalis
Marketing & Design Manager, CostumeBox
Tom Noon
Design Director, The Midnight Club
Lauren Danger Koste
Studio Manager, The Design Kids
Karina Aslikyan
Freelance Graphic Designer for Music
Karen Liang
Marketing & Design Lead, Dimeo
Ayesha Mansour
Freelance Designer, Aah Yes Studio
Anna Dai
Freelance Graphic Designer
Georgia Latham
Designer & Strategist, Imagist
Natasha Michels
Designer at Nine Publishing and Creative Director at Sweaty City magazine
Mary Lin
Freelance Graphic Designer
Carla Zimbler
VJ and Designer, Tszuj
Wyatt Welles
Freelance Art Director & Designer
Laura Welch
Senior Brand Designer, Upwork
Sophie Bo Schmidt
Freelance UX, Visual & Web Designer
Sivim Ly
Graphic Designer, antidote
Ben Thaler
Senior Brand Designer, Common
Rosylvia Wang
Design and Brand Officer at Historic Houses UK
Liam Speranza
Art Director, THE CHARLES
Em Storey
Freelance Designer
Natalie Taylor
Designer, Mobkoi
Oyinkan Karunwi
Founder & Brand Strategist, Aseda Design Agency
Sylvan Hillebrand
Senior Designer, HarrimanSteel
Maria Vazquez
Freelance Designer and Art Director
Alessandra Conti
Midweight Designer, IRIS
Elizabeth Diffey
Freelance Graphic Designer, Kate McLeod
Majo Crespo
Co-Founder and Strategic Designer, Facético
Lorenzo Mengolini
Senior Product Designer, Revolut
Abbey Swinn
Designer, Special Group
Seyi Ogunlade
Freelance Graphic Designer and Photographer
Rory Knibbs
Designer, The Midnight Club
Jess Goodall
Graphic Designer & Illustator, Belazu
Stephanie Halovanic
Writer, Pinterest
Megan Voo
Product Designer, Linktree
Gerald Torto
Practice Director, Tech, Re
Eman Abdallah
Graphic & Experience Designer, KAIRO
Ariana Villegas
Visual Designer, Ableton
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
Johanna Hagenauer
Senior Product Designer, REA Group
Emily Campos
Senior UX Designer, Checkout.com
Rawin Keo
Senior Designer, DermapenWorld
Mark Osmond
Lead Designer, Whalar
Vanessa Bertagnole
Freelance Multimedia Designer
Araki Koman
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Arwa Al-Salam
Campaigns & Project Manager, Human Appeal
Em Stokes
Freelance Designer, Studio Simple
Veronica Humphris
Digital Designer, Mapway
Leila Bartholet
Senior Web Designer, Human NYC
Jared Worthington
Creative Executive, Tribe Agency
Alexandra Francis
Freelance Graphic Designer & Illustrator
Benjamin Ngooi
Visual Designer, Great Wrap
Sophie Lord
Creative Director, Hello May
Khadijah Adbul Nabi
Creative Director & Brand Strategist, Ya Khadijah
Frankie Young
Design Lead, Driven
Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
Co-Founders, Duzi Studio
Jaira Adlawan
Designer & Art Director, Jaira Mia
Jamie Krups
Design & Communications Manager, BALNCE
Keiran McCann
Design Director, EasyKnock
Greg Bemis
Graphic Designer, Nike
Anastasiia Vinnichenko
Designer, Phantom
Loribeth Kaye
Senior Design Manager, Grab
Megan Dweck
Senior Design Lead, McKinsey & Company
James Freebairn
Graphic Designer, 3 Deep
Irina Manning
Freelance UX Designer/Researcher
Shannon Gordon
Senior Digital Designer, Purpose
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
Ani Monteleone
Senior Art Director, TPN
Caitlin Clancy
Freelance Art Director
Miwako Bishop
Regional Creative Director, The Great Room
Linda Gao
Art Director, WarnerMedia
Will Batrouney
UX/UI Designer, Liquorice
Katie Lodge
Creator, The Creative Lodge
Joseph Lebus
Design Director, Porto Rocha
Jordan Demetriou
Designer, Principals
Hamish Snow
Senior Product Designer, Linktree
Emily Somers
Founder, Bravery Co.
Eleanor Robertson
Middleweight Designer, Here Design
Estefi Panizza
Head of Digital, Death to Stock
Erin Gale
Senior Graphic Designer, Origin Energy
Kylie Meller
Founder, duosista Web and Graphic Design
Yarron Frauenfelder
Lead Designer, Swear Words
Bianca Chu
Senior Designer, Helix Sleep
Bianca Oggiano
Freelance Visual Designer
Christopher J Porter
Creative & Content Lead, Kingdom & Sparrow
Babeth Olde Hanter
Desiger, Doop
Chrystal Christie
Director & Creator, Red Back Rugs
Dominika Stanczyk
Midweight UX/UI Designer, Toyota
Lindsay Koffler
Freelance Designer
Lily Moore
Senior Graphic Designer, Cloudberry Creative
Braden Floris
Product Designer, Lyft
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder, Helio Press
Tahmena Lutfi
Senior Graphic Designer, Qantas
Anara Davletaliyeva
Product Designer, PLAYGROUND XYZ
Tiffany Yee
Freelance Senior Designer & Illustrator
Amy Sheehan
Design Director, Dotdash
Emma Ladlow
Freelance Designer
Alexis Waller
Creative Director, For The People
Halah El Kholy
In-House Designer, Brew Tea Co
Jess White
Freelance Designer
Bobby Hendry
Designer, Brilliant Logic
Lauren Dannenberg
Designer, Penguin Random House
Arnold Omanyo
Freelance Digital Designer
Dawn Moloney
Founder, A Making Life
Caroline Keefe
Freelance Senior Art Director & Designer
Paul and Amoni Liddell
Senior Visual Designer, Westpac CX and Digital Designer, Feel
Meredith Wallis
Founder & Design Director, House of Wallis
Ocki Magill
Owner & Creative Director, Blue Shop Cottage
Anika George
Product Designer, Y Media Labs
Kelly Hansen
Content Manager, Outreach
Alexander Wu-Kim
Concept Creative, ANDPEOPLE Australia
Jing Ong
Designer, Autumn
Kirsten McColl
Freelance Designer
Jackson Todd
Art Director, Van Der Zwaag
Andy Vargas
Designer, Bitâcora
Moshe Bien
Founder, Cramdyn
Crystal Lin
Associate Director of Product Design, Bank of New Zealand
Stephen Grace
Senior Designer, Christopher Doyle & Co.
Andy Tharagonnet
Graphic Designer, DesignScene
Ben Peters
Freelance Graphic Designer
Brad Holten
Senior User Experience Designer, Mastercard
Molly Sitter
Digital Designer, Madewell
Guy Pittard
Freelance Graphic Designer
Bea Sambalido
Co-Founder & Creative Director, Renegade Folk
Peta Harris
Graphic Designer, Macquarie University
Oceane Combeau
Art Director, Stacks
Anna Mullin
Illustrator, Sneaky Racoon
Theo Witrylak
Visual Designer, EPAM
Paul McKie and Myles Sharpe
Directors, Autumn
Pete Conforto
Senior Designer, Canva
Roo Cassels
Creative Director, Big Fish
James Birks
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
David Scott
UXR Lead, hedgehog lab
Jane Durlacher
Freelance Graphic Designer
Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Janno Saft
Founder & Graphic Designer, Frank Wo
Sean Raynor
Graphic Designer, CMA Design
Vanessa Burgess
Communications Designer, ARTC
Olivier Adam
Freelance Graphic Designer
Margherita Baldi
Senior Designer, BORN Group
Tim Jones
Strategy Director, venturethree
Meg Walker
Freelance Digital Designer
Louise Hamer
Digital Director, Nice&Co
Ina Estrada
Founder & Creative Director, Par Vous Designs
Ulrika Johnson
Founder & Designer, Belle Bellette
Lola Irwanto
Design Manager, Princess Polly