Hear straight from our graduates.
The best advice I ever received was to be fearless about learning. One of the reasons why I love design as a career is because you don’t have to be limited to one specialty.
Graphic Designer, Victoria’s Secret
Keiran McCann
You studied Film and Media Arts. What inspired you to go back to school 3 years later and study at Shillington?
I loved my undergraduate experience studying film and media arts but while I was there, I took a few graphic design classes and found that they were my favorites in terms of the hands-on work. When I graduated from university, I found it really difficult to find consistent entry-level film/production work, so I ended up taking on a freelance position as a social media/email marketer with a boutique marketing studio. That gig ended up evolving into a full-time position and I began creating occasional visual assets such as emails, newsletters, banners etc. to aid in the social media marketing of the brands we were working with. Though it was a great learning experience and I was thankful for the consistent work, I really didn’t love what I was doing and once again discovered that the design aspect of my job was the only part about it that gave me any joy. However, my skills were rudimentary and I didn’t feel comfortable calling myself a designer without proper credentials so I started to look into graduate design programs. The problem there was that the programs were very long, very expensive and you needed a portfolio to apply to them, which I did not have. A few Google searches later I discovered Shillington and it was like a lightbulb went on above my head. The program seemed perfect and a new course session was starting in only a few weeks. It felt like kismet! I made a few calls, scrounged up my savings and within a few days I was enrolled and attending my first class.
Since you had experience as both an illustrator and designer, how did the course further build your skillset?
The best thing the course gave me as an illustrator and a designer was the confidence to actually see myself as a professional in those fields. Despite my background, I had a lot of trouble viewing and pitching myself as a true designer and illustrator and thought of myself more as a reluctant marketer who dabbled in the creative.
Are you a part of the #Shillumni community? If so, what has your experience been like?
Yes, I am a part of the #Shillumni community and I think it’s a great network for job opportunities, feedback, guidance, and friends. The community is incredibly diverse and insightful. I have passed along job opportunities through the Facebook group and like to check in frequently to see other student’s portfolios and advice. It’s also a great way to learn about campus events like portfolio reviews and workshops. I have been to a couple of these events since graduating and always find them fun and informative.
Did you make any meaningful connections with teachers and students during the Shillington course?
Definitely! It is inevitable with the 3-month intensive course, when you spend so much time with a certain group of people working, learning, and commiserating, you can’t help but bond a little bit. We often spent time together outside of class and I definitely felt way more connected with my teachers than I ever did at a “traditional” learning establishment. The experience felt so much more like going to work in a really chill office. Even after graduating many of us have managed to stay in touch despite us being all over the world!
Follow Keiran on Instagram and read her 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
The best advice I ever received was to be fearless about learning. One of the reasons why I love design as a career is because you don’t have to be limited to one specialty.
Graphic Designer, Victoria’s Secret
Keiran McCann
You studied Film and Media Arts. What inspired you to go back to school 3 years later and study at Shillington?
I loved my undergraduate experience studying film and media arts but while I was there, I took a few graphic design classes and found that they were my favorites in terms of the hands-on work. When I graduated from university, I found it really difficult to find consistent entry-level film/production work, so I ended up taking on a freelance position as a social media/email marketer with a boutique marketing studio. That gig ended up evolving into a full-time position and I began creating occasional visual assets such as emails, newsletters, banners etc. to aid in the social media marketing of the brands we were working with. Though it was a great learning experience and I was thankful for the consistent work, I really didn’t love what I was doing and once again discovered that the design aspect of my job was the only part about it that gave me any joy. However, my skills were rudimentary and I didn’t feel comfortable calling myself a designer without proper credentials so I started to look into graduate design programs. The problem there was that the programs were very long, very expensive and you needed a portfolio to apply to them, which I did not have. A few Google searches later I discovered Shillington and it was like a lightbulb went on above my head. The program seemed perfect and a new course session was starting in only a few weeks. It felt like kismet! I made a few calls, scrounged up my savings and within a few days I was enrolled and attending my first class.
Since you had experience as both an illustrator and designer, how did the course further build your skillset?
The best thing the course gave me as an illustrator and a designer was the confidence to actually see myself as a professional in those fields. Despite my background, I had a lot of trouble viewing and pitching myself as a true designer and illustrator and thought of myself more as a reluctant marketer who dabbled in the creative.
Are you a part of the #Shillumni community? If so, what has your experience been like?
Yes, I am a part of the #Shillumni community and I think it’s a great network for job opportunities, feedback, guidance, and friends. The community is incredibly diverse and insightful. I have passed along job opportunities through the Facebook group and like to check in frequently to see other student’s portfolios and advice. It’s also a great way to learn about campus events like portfolio reviews and workshops. I have been to a couple of these events since graduating and always find them fun and informative.
Did you make any meaningful connections with teachers and students during the Shillington course?
Definitely! It is inevitable with the 3-month intensive course, when you spend so much time with a certain group of people working, learning, and commiserating, you can’t help but bond a little bit. We often spent time together outside of class and I definitely felt way more connected with my teachers than I ever did at a “traditional” learning establishment. The experience felt so much more like going to work in a really chill office. Even after graduating many of us have managed to stay in touch despite us being all over the world!
Follow Keiran on Instagram and read her full interview on the blog.
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
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