Hear straight from our graduates.
I was skeptical about Shillington, even while I was going through it. It all sounded too good to be true! But you are dedicated and willing to learn and try new things, you will leave the program ready for real—world design and things will fall into place. I feel I am a prime example of that.
Creative, Nike
Greg Bemis
What do you love about being a designer?
I honestly love every part of it! I love being creative. I love seeing my ideas come to life. I love working with other creative people to make amazing projects. I love problem solving and finding new and unique ways to answer design challenges and questions. I think it is a career that allows you to wear different hats and do a multitude of different things. I love that my days are never the same; every day poses a new question or problem that I have to solve through design.
You’ve been working on some incredible stuff for Nike. Tell us about that!
After finishing Shillington in 2014, my wife and I moved back to Portland after living in New York for two years. I got a job working for a small design agency in town, mostly working with Nike and Jordan Brand. I was lucky enough to work on some amazing projects that allowed me to use an array of skills from illustration and type setting , to overall connecting of retail spaces and brand environments.
After working there for a year, I started working at Nike full-time in the Basketball Footwear category where I create graphics and stories for basketball footwear.
You were already a trained designer when you enrolled at Shillington in New York. Why were you drawn to the course?
I wouldn’t say that I was ‘trained’, I was more self taught with a small amount of classic school training. I had originally enrolled in a four year college program with a major in graphic design in 2010. After completing two years of it I felt overwhelmed by all the prerequisite courses I was forced to take that had nothing to do with art or design. At that point I dropped out, got a job making wooden sunglasses,and started making more art for myself and friends on the side. I did that for a year and then moved to New York.
I tried to get a real design job, but was unable to gain any traction. I heard about Shillington around that time. I went to an Information Session and realized it was the perfect fit for me. It focused on what I was interested in learning and left out all the rest.
What would you say to someone who is skeptical about the Shillington course?
I would say, welcome to the club! I was also skeptical about the program, even while I was going through it. It all sounded too good to be true! It was short, fun and educational. I think, like anything else in life, you get out what you put into it.
If you are dedicated and willing to learn and try new things, you will leave the program ready for real—world design and things will fall into place. I feel I am a prime example of that.
Visit Greg’s website and read his full interview on the blog.
Lola Irwanto
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Estefi Panizza
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Shannon Gordon
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Caitlin Clancy
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Miwako Suzuki
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Rachel Urquhart
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Ellie Pinney
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Lauren Koste
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Eman Abdallah
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James Freebairn
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Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
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Bianca Oggiano
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Christopher J Porter
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Katie Lodge
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Vanessa Bertagnole
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Amee Wilson
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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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Anara Davletaliyeva
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Erin Gale
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Tiffany Yee
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Amy Sheehan
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Emma Ladlow
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Braden Floris
Designer, GoFundMe
Alexis Waller
Design Director, R/GA
Halah El Kholy
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Jess White
Junior Graphic Designer, Just Media Design
Alexander Rog
Junior Designer, oOh!
Jessica Bakker
Junior Graphic Designer, Beyond Communications
Bianca Chu
Senior Designer, eBay
Tally Thompson
Graphic Designer, Awesome Creative
Greg Bemis
Creative, Nike
Arnold Omanyo
UX/UI Designer, Digital on Demand
I was skeptical about Shillington, even while I was going through it. It all sounded too good to be true! But you are dedicated and willing to learn and try new things, you will leave the program ready for real—world design and things will fall into place. I feel I am a prime example of that.
Creative, Nike
Greg Bemis
What do you love about being a designer?
I honestly love every part of it! I love being creative. I love seeing my ideas come to life. I love working with other creative people to make amazing projects. I love problem solving and finding new and unique ways to answer design challenges and questions. I think it is a career that allows you to wear different hats and do a multitude of different things. I love that my days are never the same; every day poses a new question or problem that I have to solve through design.
You’ve been working on some incredible stuff for Nike. Tell us about that!
After finishing Shillington in 2014, my wife and I moved back to Portland after living in New York for two years. I got a job working for a small design agency in town, mostly working with Nike and Jordan Brand. I was lucky enough to work on some amazing projects that allowed me to use an array of skills from illustration and type setting , to overall connecting of retail spaces and brand environments.
After working there for a year, I started working at Nike full-time in the Basketball Footwear category where I create graphics and stories for basketball footwear.
You were already a trained designer when you enrolled at Shillington in New York. Why were you drawn to the course?
I wouldn’t say that I was ‘trained’, I was more self taught with a small amount of classic school training. I had originally enrolled in a four year college program with a major in graphic design in 2010. After completing two years of it I felt overwhelmed by all the prerequisite courses I was forced to take that had nothing to do with art or design. At that point I dropped out, got a job making wooden sunglasses,and started making more art for myself and friends on the side. I did that for a year and then moved to New York.
I tried to get a real design job, but was unable to gain any traction. I heard about Shillington around that time. I went to an Information Session and realized it was the perfect fit for me. It focused on what I was interested in learning and left out all the rest.
What would you say to someone who is skeptical about the Shillington course?
I would say, welcome to the club! I was also skeptical about the program, even while I was going through it. It all sounded too good to be true! It was short, fun and educational. I think, like anything else in life, you get out what you put into it.
If you are dedicated and willing to learn and try new things, you will leave the program ready for real—world design and things will fall into place. I feel I am a prime example of that.
Visit Greg’s website and read his full interview on the blog.
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Meredith Wallis
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Miranda Mayne
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Lindsay Koffler
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Mark Osmond
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Lily Moore
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Liana Modolo
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Victoire Scherer
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Kelly Hansen
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Alexander Wu-Kim
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Nicole Rogers
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Frankie Young
Founder, Studio Neubau
Pooja Dharia
Branding Designer, FCB Health
Jackson Todd
Art Director, Van Der Zwaag
Dawn Moloney
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Caroline Keefe
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Sophie Lord
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Ocki Magill
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Andy Vargas
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Crystal Lin
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Jing Ong
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Paul and Amoni Liddell
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Eleanor Rogers
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Andy Tharagonnet
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Erin Donati
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Ben Peters
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Brad Holten
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Natalia Baker
Freelance Graphic Designer
Guy Pittard
Freelance Graphic Designer
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Oceane Combeau
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Charly Tudor
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Anna Mullin
Illustrator, Sneaky Racoon
Theo Witrylak
Visual Designer, EPAM
Stephanie Antill
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Paul McKie and Myles Sharpe
Directors, Autumn
Pete Conforto
Designer, For The People
Nicol Reid
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David Scott
Designer, The Mix
James Birks
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Jane Durlacher
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Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Romayne Gadelrab
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Janno Saft
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Roo Cassels
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Vanessa Burgess
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Olivier Adam
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Molly Sitter
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Cari Sekendur
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Alexandra Menzies
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Tim Jones
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Carla Scotto
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Meg Walker
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Christina Capetola
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Ina Estrada
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Chrystal Christie
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Ulrika Johnson
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Sam Jacobs
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Irina Manning
UX Designer, Manning Labs
Margherita Baldi
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Henriette van Baren
Graphic Designer, ABC Carpet & Home