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.
Creator, The Creative Lodge
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.
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.
Creator, The Creative Lodge
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.
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