Hear straight from our graduates.
I’ll describe my feelings at the beginning, middle and end of the course: Excited. Exhausted. Euphoric!
Designer, Fantasia Accessories
Ulrika Johnson
Prior to Shillington you were working in an entirely different career as a legal counsel. Tell us why you decided to change careers and take the plunge to study design.
From the age of 6 years old, art was my favorite subject in school. But oddly enough, I never considered art as something I could pursue as a profession, perhaps because no adult ever introduced or supported the idea of being an “artist.” Even though I’ve always spent most of my spare time on painting and crafts, it wasn’t until I began working as a lawyer that it really hit me. I finally had a career—but was it me? I didn’t decide to shift professions overnight. In fact, it happened very gradually over the course of 7 years as a lawyer. I felt a growing, and soon an overwhelming, need to express my creativity. It just came to a point where I realized that I invested all my emotional energy and passion into my “hobby” instead of my job. There was no alternative except to turn my hobby into my career.
What would you say to someone who is skeptical about the Shillington course?
If s/he is questioning whether or not you can truly become a graphic designer in three months, my classmates and I are living proof of that. If you have a genuine desire to become a graphic designer and if you are ready to dedicate three months of your life to Shillington, focusing your energy on each project, you too can do it! I will always be amazed by how well the Shillington program was planned, thought through and up-to-date.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
Ask teachers about and research upcoming design contests for which you could qualify. I didn’t think about it nor did I know of any design contests in advance. So I really regret missing a few deadlines, since contests are an amazing opportunity to shine and showcase your work. Give everything, never give up, be curious and ask questions. I asked a ton of questions, and I also received a lot of valuable answers.
Visit Ulrika’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
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
I’ll describe my feelings at the beginning, middle and end of the course: Excited. Exhausted. Euphoric!
Designer, Fantasia Accessories
Ulrika Johnson
Prior to Shillington you were working in an entirely different career as a legal counsel. Tell us why you decided to change careers and take the plunge to study design.
From the age of 6 years old, art was my favorite subject in school. But oddly enough, I never considered art as something I could pursue as a profession, perhaps because no adult ever introduced or supported the idea of being an “artist.” Even though I’ve always spent most of my spare time on painting and crafts, it wasn’t until I began working as a lawyer that it really hit me. I finally had a career—but was it me? I didn’t decide to shift professions overnight. In fact, it happened very gradually over the course of 7 years as a lawyer. I felt a growing, and soon an overwhelming, need to express my creativity. It just came to a point where I realized that I invested all my emotional energy and passion into my “hobby” instead of my job. There was no alternative except to turn my hobby into my career.
What would you say to someone who is skeptical about the Shillington course?
If s/he is questioning whether or not you can truly become a graphic designer in three months, my classmates and I are living proof of that. If you have a genuine desire to become a graphic designer and if you are ready to dedicate three months of your life to Shillington, focusing your energy on each project, you too can do it! I will always be amazed by how well the Shillington program was planned, thought through and up-to-date.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone starting at Shillington, what would it be?
Ask teachers about and research upcoming design contests for which you could qualify. I didn’t think about it nor did I know of any design contests in advance. So I really regret missing a few deadlines, since contests are an amazing opportunity to shine and showcase your work. Give everything, never give up, be curious and ask questions. I asked a ton of questions, and I also received a lot of valuable answers.
Visit Ulrika’s website and read her full interview on the blog.
Irina Manning
UX Designer, Manning Labs
Margherita Baldi
Freelance Visual Designer
Henriette van Baren
Graphic Designer, ABC Carpet & Home