Hear straight from our graduates.
Prior to Shillington, I was a bit lost and stressed about what I was going to do with this little life of mine. [Shillington was] the best 3 months of my life, and after that 3 months, it only took a few weeks of job hunting to land one.
Designer, Brilliant Logic
Bobby Hendry
Why did you decide to study design? Why Shillington?
In my last year of high school, I watched all my mates rush to pick careers and start working hard to get into their dream uni course. I didn’t have that. I was definitely a nerd (Extension Maths for the win), but I was definitely creative too. My mates were aiming to become doctors and lawyers and art teachers, and I just couldn’t pick something that matched my maths and arts sides. Enter: finding out what graphic design was. Graphic design was explained to me once as ‘problem solving creatively’, and when I heard that, I fell in love. It just felt like it fit.
I started studying design at the University of Newcastle, but after a semester decided that I needed a more hands-on and less theory-based approach. I knew design was for me, but UoN wasn’t. Also, spending three hours each way a day commuting to spend three years studying was not appealing. When a hella talented designer mate told me about Shillington, I pretty much dropped out of UoN and handed over my deposit to Shillo straight away. He got a wicked job straight out, and was definitely one of the best designers I knew. And he got there all in three months—and I could too! That was appealing.
What would you say to someone sceptical about Shillington’s 3 month design course?
Mate. Channel your inner Shia Lebouf, and just do it. Prior to Shillington, I was a bit lost and stressed about what I was going to do with this little life of mine. I was always a bit lazy, and lacked passion for things.
Then, I remember getting up at 3am on my first day because I was just so excited I couldn’t stay asleep. And honestly, that feeling never changed. Every night I went to bed early so that the time would pass quicker and I could back with my mates in front of Mac #14. I’ve never experienced anything like that. My three months at Shillington were the best 3 months of my life, and after that 3 months, it only took a few weeks of job hunting to land one.
It would suck to be chasing one of those careers where you have to spend 4+ years at uni, and it’s so good that at Shillington, you can be equipped with all the skills you need to get a full time job in design in just 12 weeks. I’ve spent almost 2 years out of Shillington in the workforce and I can honestly say I’ve not struggled once with technical skills. You will be an absolute boss at Adobe Creative Suite if you apply yourself in those 12 weeks.
Just do it, and do it to the best of your ability. It’ll be worth it.
Visit Bobby’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
Lori Beth Kaye
Senior Product Designer, The Iconic
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
Keiran McCann
Graphic Designer, Victoria’s Secret
Emily Campos
UX Designer, Wix
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
Sinead Murphy
Freelance Graphic Designer
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
Amee Wilson
Art Director, Clemenger BBDO
Jordan Demetriou
Junior Designer, Principals
Ashley Ronning
Illustrator and Founder of Helio Press
Emily Somers
Founder, Bravery Co.
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
Art Director, Apple Inc.
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
Prior to Shillington, I was a bit lost and stressed about what I was going to do with this little life of mine. [Shillington was] the best 3 months of my life, and after that 3 months, it only took a few weeks of job hunting to land one.
Designer, Brilliant Logic
Bobby Hendry
Why did you decide to study design? Why Shillington?
In my last year of high school, I watched all my mates rush to pick careers and start working hard to get into their dream uni course. I didn’t have that. I was definitely a nerd (Extension Maths for the win), but I was definitely creative too. My mates were aiming to become doctors and lawyers and art teachers, and I just couldn’t pick something that matched my maths and arts sides. Enter: finding out what graphic design was. Graphic design was explained to me once as ‘problem solving creatively’, and when I heard that, I fell in love. It just felt like it fit.
I started studying design at the University of Newcastle, but after a semester decided that I needed a more hands-on and less theory-based approach. I knew design was for me, but UoN wasn’t. Also, spending three hours each way a day commuting to spend three years studying was not appealing. When a hella talented designer mate told me about Shillington, I pretty much dropped out of UoN and handed over my deposit to Shillo straight away. He got a wicked job straight out, and was definitely one of the best designers I knew. And he got there all in three months—and I could too! That was appealing.
What would you say to someone sceptical about Shillington’s 3 month design course?
Mate. Channel your inner Shia Lebouf, and just do it. Prior to Shillington, I was a bit lost and stressed about what I was going to do with this little life of mine. I was always a bit lazy, and lacked passion for things.
Then, I remember getting up at 3am on my first day because I was just so excited I couldn’t stay asleep. And honestly, that feeling never changed. Every night I went to bed early so that the time would pass quicker and I could back with my mates in front of Mac #14. I’ve never experienced anything like that. My three months at Shillington were the best 3 months of my life, and after that 3 months, it only took a few weeks of job hunting to land one.
It would suck to be chasing one of those careers where you have to spend 4+ years at uni, and it’s so good that at Shillington, you can be equipped with all the skills you need to get a full time job in design in just 12 weeks. I’ve spent almost 2 years out of Shillington in the workforce and I can honestly say I’ve not struggled once with technical skills. You will be an absolute boss at Adobe Creative Suite if you apply yourself in those 12 weeks.
Just do it, and do it to the best of your ability. It’ll be worth it.
Visit Bobby’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
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