Hear straight from our graduates.
I had no idea what graphic design actually was, but the teachers seemed really into what they did and when I asked if the course would give me the skills to turn my doodles into prints, they said yes. So, I applied.
Freelance Graphic Designer
Robyn M-C
Why did you decide to study at Shillington? What were you up to beforehand?
I was looking for the area within the creative industries that would excite me most. I visited galleries, attended lectures and read up on things to find out where I could use my ideas. At the time, I was working in fashion e-commerce, but not on the creative side and felt that there was more fun to be had. This led me to a Shillington Info Session. I had no idea what graphic design actually was, but the teachers seemed really into what they did and when I asked if the course would give me the skills to turn my doodles into prints, they said yes. So, I applied.
Did you have any design experience going in to the course? Or was everything new to you?
It was all new. I’ve always drawn and painted but, despite taking art and design at school and nearly doing an industrial design degree at university, my final degree was in physical geography. I was well versed in the science of mud but had no idea about graphics.
Can you remember a favourite brief from the Shillington course? We’d love to hear your process.
One brief was to design a campaign event to change a brand’s image. Andrex is known for being very soft and cute so I rebranded them to start running their own techno nights to change public perception. Loo paper and parties. That was fun.
How have the last three years as a designer been? Tell us your story from graduation to today.
I had a few internships after graduating. My first was at ilovedust. The designers there make magic, through design and illustration. That really got me stoked to start merging my illustration with design. My last internship turned into a job at Studio Blup which I loved. The co-founder, Dines, was an amazing mentor and taught me to have more self-belief as a designer.
Whilst I was studying, my favourite posters were always from Oval Space, so when they advertised for a new Senior Designer I applied on the off chance and got it. The London music scene is a great place to experiment as a designer, especially as the brief there was usually “go as weird as you can”. After that I went freelance and moved to Berlin. As everyone knows, a freelance graphic designer in Berlin is a rare breed, same with DJs.
You’re now freelancing—why did you decide to make the switch?
I just wanted to see where I could push my skills. If it feels a bit scary then that’s usually my next step. In the nasty little wake of Brexit I also wanted to work remotely and live in Europe whilst I still had the freedom to travel a bit.
I had no idea what graphic design actually was, but the teachers seemed really into what they did and when I asked if the course would give me the skills to turn my doodles into prints, they said yes. So, I applied.
Freelance Graphic Designer
Robyn M-C
Why did you decide to study at Shillington? What were you up to beforehand?
I was looking for the area within the creative industries that would excite me most. I visited galleries, attended lectures and read up on things to find out where I could use my ideas. At the time, I was working in fashion e-commerce, but not on the creative side and felt that there was more fun to be had. This led me to a Shillington Info Session. I had no idea what graphic design actually was, but the teachers seemed really into what they did and when I asked if the course would give me the skills to turn my doodles into prints, they said yes. So, I applied.
Did you have any design experience going in to the course? Or was everything new to you?
It was all new. I’ve always drawn and painted but, despite taking art and design at school and nearly doing an industrial design degree at university, my final degree was in physical geography. I was well versed in the science of mud but had no idea about graphics.
Can you remember a favourite brief from the Shillington course? We’d love to hear your process.
One brief was to design a campaign event to change a brand’s image. Andrex is known for being very soft and cute so I rebranded them to start running their own techno nights to change public perception. Loo paper and parties. That was fun.
How have the last three years as a designer been? Tell us your story from graduation to today.
I had a few internships after graduating. My first was at ilovedust. The designers there make magic, through design and illustration. That really got me stoked to start merging my illustration with design. My last internship turned into a job at Studio Blup which I loved. The co-founder, Dines, was an amazing mentor and taught me to have more self-belief as a designer.
Whilst I was studying, my favourite posters were always from Oval Space, so when they advertised for a new Senior Designer I applied on the off chance and got it. The London music scene is a great place to experiment as a designer, especially as the brief there was usually “go as weird as you can”. After that I went freelance and moved to Berlin. As everyone knows, a freelance graphic designer in Berlin is a rare breed, same with DJs.
You’re now freelancing—why did you decide to make the switch?
I just wanted to see where I could push my skills. If it feels a bit scary then that’s usually my next step. In the nasty little wake of Brexit I also wanted to work remotely and live in Europe whilst I still had the freedom to travel a bit.
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