Hear straight from our graduates.
The online course really prepared me to work on tight timelines.
Associate Design Manager at Tushy
Liam Speranza
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 does the online course compare to the in-person experience?
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.
The online course really prepared me to work on tight timelines.
Associate Design Manager at Tushy
Liam Speranza
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 does the online course compare to the in-person experience?
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.
Lauren Stevens
Freelance Graphic Designer/ Junior Designer at NRMA
Ayesha Mansour
Freelance Designer, Aah Yes Studio
Georgia Latham
Intern at Imagist
Mary Lin
Graphic Designer, Colette Werden
Sophie Bo Schmidt
Senior UX Consultant at PeakXD
Ben Thaler
Junior Designer at Common
Liam Speranza
Associate Design Manager at Tushy
Natalie Taylor
Designer, Mobkoi
Oyinkan Karunwi
Founder at Aseda Design Agency
Elizabeth Diffey
Freelance Graphic Designer, Spotify
Julia Hoolahan
Art Director, Home Beautiful
Rory Knibbs
Designer, The Midnight Club
Stephanie Halovanic
Creative Producer, &Walsh
Eman Abdallah
Graphic & Experience Designer, KAIRO
Mark Osmond
Designer, Thumbs Up!
Araki Koman
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
Veronica Humphris
Digital Designer, Mapway
Benjamin Ngooi
Graphic Designer, Cox Architecture
Khadijah Adbul Nabi
Freelance Graphic Designer
Ella Donald & Charlotte Carnegie Brown
Co-Founders, Studio Duzi
Jamie Krups
Creative at Stab Magazine
Megan Dweck
Visual Designer, McKinsey & Company
Miwako Suzuki
Integrated Creative Director
Eleanor Robertson
Designer, Paul Belford Ltd
Kylie Meller
Founder, duosista Web and Graphic Design
Babeth Olde Hanter
Junior Art Director, SOV
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder of Helio Press
Anara Davletaliyeva
UX Designer and Developer, Appliances Online
Amy Sheehan
Art Director, Insider Inc.
Alexis Waller
Design Director, R/GA
Arnold Omanyo
UX/UI Designer, Digital on Demand
Kelly Hansen
Graphic Designer, Amazon Books
Pooja Dharia
Branding Designer, FCB Health
Stephen Grace
Designer, Christopher Doyle & Co.
Bea Sambalido
Freelance Graphic Designer
Peta Harris
Graphic Designer, Macquarie University
Pete Conforto
Designer, For The People
Rachel Lee
Freelance Graphic Designer
Olivier Adam
Freelance Graphic Designer
Meg Walker
Designer, Milkshake
Ina Estrada
Founder, Par Vous Designs
Henriette van Baren
Graphic Designer, ABC Carpet & Home