Hear straight from our graduates.
It took me a year and 1000 packs of instant noodles to save up for Shillington, but I did.
Founder, frank wo
Janno Saft
Why did you decide to study at Shillington?
In the beginning of the third year at University I decided to take a year off (never returned) to figure out what else is there in the world. In 2006 I took a flight to Melbourne and it was an eye opener. The art scene there was and is insane. I went out almost every day to search artworks around the city. The stencils were my favourites. That was the moment I acknowledged that this is my thing also.
Google told me that I have to go to Shillington College. Best short-term design school in Australia (visa restrictions). My bank account told me that I should start building a cardboard house. So I took a train ticket outside from the city and got myself a job that includes a lot of blisters and hate. I was so into making it, that I totally zoned out from the life I had. In every few months I did sent a text to my mom “I am alive” and she replied “I know”. Some of my friends thought that I am dead. So thanks to Google I made my decision. It took me a year and 1000 packs of instant noodles (Shin Ramyun) to save up for Shillington, but I did.
You graduated from Shillington 10 years ago. Walk us through your creative journey since then!
I took a flight back to Estonia only few days after graduation and at the end of the week I already had a job: Junior designer at Y&R. I was so happy and full on confident. I am officially a graphic designer…but in an advertising agency. At that time I never thought that there is such a big difference between design studio vs. advertising agency. I went there to do identity design, but thanks to my pen-tool skills I ended up cutting out diapers for a catalogue. Now I am a father and I know everything about baby diapers. So of course I did quit. I didn’t learn much from that time as a graphic designer, but one thing I got was patience.
In 2011 I started my own business, but I also needed to do a bit of traveling and I combined those two. Traveling and Design. So I spent 4 years abroad. Working in the mornings on design projects and getting intoxicated and educated from afternoon on in Portugal / France / New Zealand / Thailand / Bangladesh / Nepal / Myanmar / Thailand / Malaysia / Vietnam / Laos / Cambodia / Oman / Spain. So I think the design quality was on a standstill. At that time my credo was “Done is better then perfect”. I learned to work really fast, because there was a lot of things to do and see beside design. Waking up in Bangkok knowing that you can not hit the city before a design project is done makes you work fast. I also finished one project while trekking on Himalayas.
I think it was not only a creative journey but also a journey about finding myself. Maybe even more about myself. I turned 33 on July. Now I feel ready to start as a full time designer. My studio frank wo is only six months old and I am so amped up to create.
How did Shillington play a role?
The biggest advantage that Shillington gave me is how to handle a pressure of time. If something has to be done in an hour, then it’s done in 50 minutes. Thanks to that I had everything done before afternoon, so I was able to do some sightseeing.
What do you love about being a designer?
I actually get an adrenalin rush every now and then while working on a design project. And I start jumping around like a kid. But I never show or tell this to anyone. I am a design junkie. Always looking for a new high. Maybe I should see someone about it.
Visit Janno’s webiste and read his full interview on the blog.
Arwa Al-Salam
Designer, Human Appeal
Babeth Olde Hanter
Junior Art Director, SOV
Jamie Krups
Creative at Stab Magazine
Megan Dweck
Visual Designer, McKinsey & Company
Emily Campos
UX Designer, Wix
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
Caitlin Clancy
Designer, The New York Times
Miwako Suzuki
Integrated Creative Director
Rachel Urquhart
Founder, Pony Gold Studio
Ellie Pinney
Freelance Designer
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
Jaira Adlawan
Senior Visual Designer, Sephora
Ani Monteleone
Designer, The Wall Street Journal
Hamish Snow
Designer, Josephmark
Eleanor Robertson
Designer, Paul Belford Ltd
Gerald Torto
Strategist, Re Agency
Linda Gao
Designer, HBO
Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
Co-Founders, Studio Duzi
Will Batrouney
Graphic Designer, Ignite Online
Bianca Oggiano
Designer, Design Haus Liberty
Christopher J Porter
Designer, I See Sea
Dominika Stanczyk
Designer, Open Water
Katie Lodge
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Vanessa Bertagnole
Graphic Multimedia Designer, Surf Life Saving Queensland
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Clemenger BBDO
Shannon Gordon
Designer, R/GA
Jordan Demetriou
Junior Designer, Principals
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder of Helio Press
Emily Somers
Founder, Bravery Co.
Yarron Frauenfelder
Design Director
Anara Davletaliyeva
UX Designer and Developer, Appliances Online
Erin Gale
Designer, Target
Tiffany Yee
Designer, Forever 21
Amy Sheehan
Art Director, Insider Inc.
Emma Ladlow
Designer, University of Nottingham Students' Union
Braden Floris
Designer, GoFundMe
Alexis Waller
Design Director, R/GA
Halah El Kholy
In-House Designer, Brew Tea Co
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
Tahmena Lutfi
Digital Designer, Qantas and Jetstar Hotels
Meredith Wallis
Designer, King & Partners
Miranda Mayne
Freelance Graphic Designer
Lindsay Koffler
Graphic Designer, Refinery29
Bobby Hendry
Designer, Brilliant Logic
Anika George
Designer, AKQA
Mark Osmond
Designer, Thumbs Up!
Lily Moore
Designer at Sotheby’s
Liana Modolo
UX Designer, Rex Software
Victoire Scherer
Junior Graphic Designer, Neoscape
Mikel McCavana
Designer, Moment
Kelly Hansen
Graphic Designer, Amazon Books
Alexander Wu-Kim
Concept Creative, ANDPEOPLE Australia
Kirsten McColl
Designer, WH-O
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
Designer, DNA Design
Stephen Grace
Designer, Christopher Doyle & Co.
Jing Ong
Designer, Autumn
Paul and Amoni Liddell
Graphic Designers, Westpac CX and Feel
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
Freelance Graphic Designer
Oceane Combeau
Designer, Fernand et Firmin
Charly Tudor
Graphic Designer, Holdens
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
Nicol Reid
Founder, Little Creative
David Scott
Designer, The Mix
James Birks
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Jane Durlacher
Graphic Designer, Paper Stone Scissors
Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Romayne Gadelrab
Freelance Graphic Designer
Janno Saft
Founder, frank wo
It took me a year and 1000 packs of instant noodles to save up for Shillington, but I did.
Founder, frank wo
Janno Saft
Why did you decide to study at Shillington?
In the beginning of the third year at University I decided to take a year off (never returned) to figure out what else is there in the world. In 2006 I took a flight to Melbourne and it was an eye opener. The art scene there was and is insane. I went out almost every day to search artworks around the city. The stencils were my favourites. That was the moment I acknowledged that this is my thing also.
Google told me that I have to go to Shillington College. Best short-term design school in Australia (visa restrictions). My bank account told me that I should start building a cardboard house. So I took a train ticket outside from the city and got myself a job that includes a lot of blisters and hate. I was so into making it, that I totally zoned out from the life I had. In every few months I did sent a text to my mom “I am alive” and she replied “I know”. Some of my friends thought that I am dead. So thanks to Google I made my decision. It took me a year and 1000 packs of instant noodles (Shin Ramyun) to save up for Shillington, but I did.
You graduated from Shillington 10 years ago. Walk us through your creative journey since then!
I took a flight back to Estonia only few days after graduation and at the end of the week I already had a job: Junior designer at Y&R. I was so happy and full on confident. I am officially a graphic designer…but in an advertising agency. At that time I never thought that there is such a big difference between design studio vs. advertising agency. I went there to do identity design, but thanks to my pen-tool skills I ended up cutting out diapers for a catalogue. Now I am a father and I know everything about baby diapers. So of course I did quit. I didn’t learn much from that time as a graphic designer, but one thing I got was patience.
In 2011 I started my own business, but I also needed to do a bit of traveling and I combined those two. Traveling and Design. So I spent 4 years abroad. Working in the mornings on design projects and getting intoxicated and educated from afternoon on in Portugal / France / New Zealand / Thailand / Bangladesh / Nepal / Myanmar / Thailand / Malaysia / Vietnam / Laos / Cambodia / Oman / Spain. So I think the design quality was on a standstill. At that time my credo was “Done is better then perfect”. I learned to work really fast, because there was a lot of things to do and see beside design. Waking up in Bangkok knowing that you can not hit the city before a design project is done makes you work fast. I also finished one project while trekking on Himalayas.
I think it was not only a creative journey but also a journey about finding myself. Maybe even more about myself. I turned 33 on July. Now I feel ready to start as a full time designer. My studio frank wo is only six months old and I am so amped up to create.
How did Shillington play a role?
The biggest advantage that Shillington gave me is how to handle a pressure of time. If something has to be done in an hour, then it’s done in 50 minutes. Thanks to that I had everything done before afternoon, so I was able to do some sightseeing.
What do you love about being a designer?
I actually get an adrenalin rush every now and then while working on a design project. And I start jumping around like a kid. But I never show or tell this to anyone. I am a design junkie. Always looking for a new high. Maybe I should see someone about it.
Visit Janno’s webiste and read his full interview on the blog.
Roo Cassels
Designer, Big Fish
Vanessa Burgess
Graphic Designer, Tritium
Olivier Adam
Freelance Graphic Designer
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