Hear straight from our graduates.
I couldn’t have dreamt of a better environment, especially at such a vulnerable time of my life where doubts and uncertainty were daily companions.
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Araki Koman
What were you up to before Shillington?
I was working as a Search Engine Marketing Analyst for Microsoft France. It was my second job after graduating from my Master’s degree in Marketing. Within a year I switched between a multitasking role in a startup to a more specific role in a bigger company, thinking it would bring me the inner satisfaction I was looking for. Although the working conditions were great, I knew I definitely wasn’t following the right path.
Why did you decide to study design? Why Shillington?
I was a creative child, constantly drawing and imagining myself as a graphic designer, illustrator, architect or fashion designer. However, when I reached my teenage years with all the insecurities and self-doubt that comes with it, I lost touch with my creative side and stopped drawing altogether for 10 years. Growing up, no one around me was working in the creative industry.
I come from a working class and second generation immigrant background. At the time, doing a creative job felt like a fantasy, far away from the reality I was surrounded with. Investing money to enroll into a business school felt like a smarter and safer choice at the time. Luckily, during my studies, I got to travel a lot for internships and exchange programs and expanded my perspective. I met friends living from their creative work and went to countries where art was more inclusive than in my native Paris. After quitting my second marketing job, I went to New York to visit a Graphic Designer friend. At the time I was already considering studying design, but the good Paris design schools I was interested in had an age limit. At 24, I was considered too old to enroll. When I bumped into a Shillington ad in an independent magazine in Williamsburg, I instantly knew it’s where I needed to study.
From the teaching quality following design principles and industry standards, the flexibility (9 months part-time/ 3 months full time), to learning how to master the main design softwares while building a professional portfolio… I couldn’t have dreamt of a better environment, especially at such a vulnerable time of my life where doubts and uncertainty were daily companions.
What have you been up to since graduating?
Right after graduating, I found a freelance graphic design job in a creative London studio. I initially started as a paid intern for one month and ended up being hired. I then felt the need to explore my creativity more and moved to Iceland for a textile design internship, then enrolled into a fashion design course in Denmark to finally realise my drawing potential during a fashion illustration course. It took few more years working as a creative consultant and graphic designer before embracing a full time freelance illustrator career 2 years ago.
Any tips for someone thinking of changing careers? (1) Embracing my creativity have been an amazing self-discovery journey! (2) Follow your curiosity, it will expand your life’s perspective and your potential in tremendous ways. (3) Each new skills and experiences you’ll learn will add up to each other and will help you design a life and career tailored for you. A great asset in the era we currently live in.
Visit Araki’s website.
Photo by Fran Hales.
Ellie Pinney
Freelance Designer
Caitlin Clancy
Designer, The New York Times
Miwako Suzuki
Integrated Creative Director
Rachel Urquhart
Founder, Pony Gold Studio
Lauren Koste
Freelance Designer and Craft Beer Specialist
Eman Abdallah
Designer, Humachina
Lori Beth Kaye
Senior Product Designer, The Iconic
Anastasiia Vinnichenko
Designer, Tile Creative
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
Araki Koman
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Keiran McCann
Graphic Designer, Victoria’s Secret
Emily Campos
UX Designer, Wix
I couldn’t have dreamt of a better environment, especially at such a vulnerable time of my life where doubts and uncertainty were daily companions.
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Araki Koman
What were you up to before Shillington?
I was working as a Search Engine Marketing Analyst for Microsoft France. It was my second job after graduating from my Master’s degree in Marketing. Within a year I switched between a multitasking role in a startup to a more specific role in a bigger company, thinking it would bring me the inner satisfaction I was looking for. Although the working conditions were great, I knew I definitely wasn’t following the right path.
Why did you decide to study design? Why Shillington?
I was a creative child, constantly drawing and imagining myself as a graphic designer, illustrator, architect or fashion designer. However, when I reached my teenage years with all the insecurities and self-doubt that comes with it, I lost touch with my creative side and stopped drawing altogether for 10 years. Growing up, no one around me was working in the creative industry.
I come from a working class and second generation immigrant background. At the time, doing a creative job felt like a fantasy, far away from the reality I was surrounded with. Investing money to enroll into a business school felt like a smarter and safer choice at the time. Luckily, during my studies, I got to travel a lot for internships and exchange programs and expanded my perspective. I met friends living from their creative work and went to countries where art was more inclusive than in my native Paris. After quitting my second marketing job, I went to New York to visit a Graphic Designer friend. At the time I was already considering studying design, but the good Paris design schools I was interested in had an age limit. At 24, I was considered too old to enroll. When I bumped into a Shillington ad in an independent magazine in Williamsburg, I instantly knew it’s where I needed to study.
From the teaching quality following design principles and industry standards, the flexibility (9 months part-time/ 3 months full time), to learning how to master the main design softwares while building a professional portfolio… I couldn’t have dreamt of a better environment, especially at such a vulnerable time of my life where doubts and uncertainty were daily companions.
What have you been up to since graduating?
Right after graduating, I found a freelance graphic design job in a creative London studio. I initially started as a paid intern for one month and ended up being hired. I then felt the need to explore my creativity more and moved to Iceland for a textile design internship, then enrolled into a fashion design course in Denmark to finally realise my drawing potential during a fashion illustration course. It took few more years working as a creative consultant and graphic designer before embracing a full time freelance illustrator career 2 years ago.
Any tips for someone thinking of changing careers? (1) Embracing my creativity have been an amazing self-discovery journey! (2) Follow your curiosity, it will expand your life’s perspective and your potential in tremendous ways. (3) Each new skills and experiences you’ll learn will add up to each other and will help you design a life and career tailored for you. A great asset in the era we currently live in.
Visit Araki’s website.
Photo by Fran Hales.
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Hamish Snow
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Eleanor Robertson
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Linda Gao
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Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
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Vanessa Bertagnole
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Jordan Demetriou
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Ashley Ronning
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Emily Somers
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Yarron Frauenfelder
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Tiffany Yee
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Emma Ladlow
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Halah El Kholy
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Alexander Rog
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Jessica Bakker
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Bianca Chu
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Tally Thompson
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Greg Bemis
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Arnold Omanyo
UX/UI Designer, Digital on Demand
Tahmena Lutfi
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Meredith Wallis
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Miranda Mayne
Freelance Graphic Designer
Lindsay Koffler
Graphic Designer, Refinery29
Bobby Hendry
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Anika George
Designer, AKQA
Mark Osmond
Designer, Thumbs Up!
Lily Moore
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Liana Modolo
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Victoire Scherer
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Mikel McCavana
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Kelly Hansen
Graphic Designer, Amazon Books
Alexander Wu-Kim
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Kirsten McColl
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Nicole Rogers
Designer, Birchbox
Frankie Young
Founder, Studio Neubau
Pooja Dharia
Branding Designer, FCB Health
Jackson Todd
Art Director, Van Der Zwaag
Dawn Moloney
Founder, A Making Life
Caroline Keefe
Freelance, Nickelodeon
Sophie Lord
Creative Director, Hello May
Ocki Magill
Founder, Letter Bug Studios
Andy Vargas
Designer, Bitâcora
Moshe Bien
Designer, Nucleus
Crystal Lin
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Stephen Grace
Designer, Christopher Doyle & Co.
Jing Ong
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Paul and Amoni Liddell
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Eleanor Rogers
Letterpress Printer, Chapel Press
Andy Tharagonnet
Designer, ThumbsUp
Erin Donati
Founder, Harley Quinn & Co.
Ben Peters
Freelance Graphic Designer
Brad Holten
Designer, Big Idea
Natalia Baker
Freelance Graphic Designer
Guy Pittard
Freelance Graphic Designer
Bea Sambalido
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Charly Tudor
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Anna Mullin
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Theo Witrylak
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Paul McKie and Myles Sharpe
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Pete Conforto
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Nicol Reid
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David Scott
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James Birks
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Jane Durlacher
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Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Romayne Gadelrab
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Janno Saft
Founder, frank wo
Roo Cassels
Designer, Big Fish
Vanessa Burgess
Graphic Designer, Tritium
Olivier Adam
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Molly Sitter
Studio Designer, Spring St. Social Society
Cari Sekendur
Art Director, LMNOP Creative
Alexandra Menzies
Freelance Graphic 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
Chrystal Christie
Photographer/Graphic Designer, One Round Entertainment
Ulrika Johnson
Designer, Fantasia Accessories
Sam Jacobs
Senior Designer, Time Inc.
Sean Raynor
Designer, Watermark Studio
Irina Manning
UX Designer, Manning Labs
Margherita Baldi
Freelance Visual Designer
Henriette van Baren
Graphic Designer, ABC Carpet & Home