Art Director, THE CHARLES

Liam Speranza

Liam Speranza studied at Shillington New York

What were you up to before Shillington?

Before Shillington, I was a scientist and then worked for a science research firm on their communications team.

Why did you decide to study design at Shillington and what made our design course stand out from the rest?

I was looking for a program for about a year before officially enrolling in Shillington. I wanted a truly immersive experience that would let me develop a strong design portfolio, but not leave me in massive amounts of student debt. After seeing student portfolios and speaking with alumni, it was clear that Shillington was the right choice for me.

How was it to study graphic design online?

The online course was definitely different from being in a studio environment. I did feel a greater sense of community from my peers.

What were the most positive aspects of the online course?

Now that I’m working as a designer, the online course really prepared me to work on tight timelines. I’m better able to trust my design process and manage my time because of the online course.

How were you able to structure your time learning from home?

I made actionable lists of what needed to be done that day and would make time blocks for each assignment. Knowing that I needed to submit work and/or questions every day by 8am and 1:30pm kept me accountable and on-track as well. I also found that using the Pomodoro method (work for 25 minutes, rest for 5 minutes) was helpful in structuring my time.

If someone was considering a online learning course option, what would be your main piece of advice?

You need to find the one thing that can keep you driven when studying and working remotely. For me, it was the community. It can be intimidating to learn remotely, but Shillington’s format kept me feeling connected to other students and driven for both my and their successes.

What would you say to someone who is skeptical about studying at Shillington?

If you’re feeling skeptical, then I would say take the plunge, dig deep, trust the process. Shillington can truly change your life; I know it did for me.

Anything else you’d like to share?

I really can’t thank Shillington enough. Before I started the program, I felt lost and like my career was at a bit of a dead-end. Now that I’m a working designer, I know I have the tools to succeed and that my career can only grow from here.

Check out Liam’s website and Instagram to keep up to date with their work.