Hear straight from our graduates.
Shillington is a really great option for people who don’t want to spend three years getting a degree, but still come out of the course with a killer portfolio, armed with all of the practical skills you need to walk into a studio environment with confidence.
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Katie Lodge
Before Shillington you built a seriously impressive career in a global real estate and project management business. Why did you make the bold step to study graphic design part-time?
Oh thank you (#blush) such a lovely thing to say! I have always been creative ever since I was little and somehow I ‘fell’ into architecture when I was studying art and design at college. That set me on an incredible path into the world of property and construction and I have worked in the industry for just over 16 years now. After graduating with a BaHons in Architecture in London, I later moved to Sydney where I worked hard and ‘climbed the corporate ladder’ to a senior position in a global real estate and project management business. Whilst I absolutely loved it, I began to realise that I still had a strong yearning for a creative outlet to feed my soul.
Why did you know Shillington was the right study option for you?
I had looked at a few different colleges and courses but Shillington really stood out to me for a couple of reasons, the first being the quality of portfolios that the previous students had produced and the second being the flexible study options. Shillington is a really great option for people who don’t want to spend three years getting a degree, but still come out of the course with a killer portfolio, armed with all of the practical skills you need to walk into a studio environment with confidence.
In February 2016, I bit the bullet and signed up, deposit paid—check; shiny new Macbook —check; a belly full of excited butterflies—check!!!
Networking led to you to land a (created for you!) role at Frost* Collective, a top Sydney studio. Tell us about that hiring process.
A month before I was due to graduate, I was at a corporate charity evening with property professionals, consultants and CEOs raising money to help create a better life for children and young people in care, when I spotted Vince Frost across the room. I had been following the beautiful work of Frost* Collective from afar for a number of years so I recognised him straight away. After plucking up the courage to walk over and introduce myself, we quickly got into a great conversation about the industry—both creative and property—and arranged to meet the following week at the studio.
We hit it off straight away and within just a few weeks were talking about me joining the Frost* Collective in a brand new role that didn’t even exist yet!
I graduated from Shillington a few weeks later with a portfolio I was very proud of. In April 2017 I joined the incredible studio of Frost* Collective as Business Development Manager, working closely with Vince and the team to help grow the Collective. Every day at Frost* I’m surrounded by inspiring creatives, fantastic colleagues and clients and design that makes my soul feel complete.
What advice would you give to a Shillington student on day one?
Ditch the nerves, embrace it, throw yourself into it and don’t worry about what other people think. You get to do fun little exercises on the first day that will probably feel a bit out of your comfort zone, but just enjoy it and don’t take yourself too seriously. Take the time to say hello to each and everyone of your new classmates. There will be lots of people from different backgrounds, professions, each with a unique story to share. Also, get comfortable away from the computer and use every opportunity you can to use good old fashioned pen and paper to get your ideas down.
Visit Katie’s Shillington portfolio website and read her full interview on the blog.
Miwako Suzuki
Integrated Creative Director
Rachel Urquhart
Founder, Pony Gold Studio
Lori Beth Kaye
Senior Product Designer, The Iconic
Ray Wong
Designer, Oink Creative
Araki Koman
Freelance Illustrator and Designer
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
Will Batrouney
Graphic Designer, Ignite Online
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
Shillington is a really great option for people who don’t want to spend three years getting a degree, but still come out of the course with a killer portfolio, armed with all of the practical skills you need to walk into a studio environment with confidence.
Business Development Manager, Frost* collective
Katie Lodge
Before Shillington you built a seriously impressive career in a global real estate and project management business. Why did you make the bold step to study graphic design part-time?
Oh thank you (#blush) such a lovely thing to say! I have always been creative ever since I was little and somehow I ‘fell’ into architecture when I was studying art and design at college. That set me on an incredible path into the world of property and construction and I have worked in the industry for just over 16 years now. After graduating with a BaHons in Architecture in London, I later moved to Sydney where I worked hard and ‘climbed the corporate ladder’ to a senior position in a global real estate and project management business. Whilst I absolutely loved it, I began to realise that I still had a strong yearning for a creative outlet to feed my soul.
Why did you know Shillington was the right study option for you?
I had looked at a few different colleges and courses but Shillington really stood out to me for a couple of reasons, the first being the quality of portfolios that the previous students had produced and the second being the flexible study options. Shillington is a really great option for people who don’t want to spend three years getting a degree, but still come out of the course with a killer portfolio, armed with all of the practical skills you need to walk into a studio environment with confidence.
In February 2016, I bit the bullet and signed up, deposit paid—check; shiny new Macbook —check; a belly full of excited butterflies—check!!!
Networking led to you to land a (created for you!) role at Frost* Collective, a top Sydney studio. Tell us about that hiring process.
A month before I was due to graduate, I was at a corporate charity evening with property professionals, consultants and CEOs raising money to help create a better life for children and young people in care, when I spotted Vince Frost across the room. I had been following the beautiful work of Frost* Collective from afar for a number of years so I recognised him straight away. After plucking up the courage to walk over and introduce myself, we quickly got into a great conversation about the industry—both creative and property—and arranged to meet the following week at the studio.
We hit it off straight away and within just a few weeks were talking about me joining the Frost* Collective in a brand new role that didn’t even exist yet!
I graduated from Shillington a few weeks later with a portfolio I was very proud of. In April 2017 I joined the incredible studio of Frost* Collective as Business Development Manager, working closely with Vince and the team to help grow the Collective. Every day at Frost* I’m surrounded by inspiring creatives, fantastic colleagues and clients and design that makes my soul feel complete.
What advice would you give to a Shillington student on day one?
Ditch the nerves, embrace it, throw yourself into it and don’t worry about what other people think. You get to do fun little exercises on the first day that will probably feel a bit out of your comfort zone, but just enjoy it and don’t take yourself too seriously. Take the time to say hello to each and everyone of your new classmates. There will be lots of people from different backgrounds, professions, each with a unique story to share. Also, get comfortable away from the computer and use every opportunity you can to use good old fashioned pen and paper to get your ideas down.
Visit Katie’s Shillington portfolio website and read her full interview on the blog.
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
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