Graphic Design Teacher
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Frankie Young

German-born Frankie Young is a paper geek turned graphic designer. From a young age she harboured a love for editorial design, photography and brutalist architecture—always collecting theatre tickets, flyers and exhibition catalogues instead of the usual souvenirs. A desire to travel led her to working in luxury hotels around the globe before arriving at graphic design. Today her lifelong obsession with travel, print and texture manifests in her freelance practice Studio Neubau where she works on branding, print and editorial projects. As a freelancer, Frankie also worked with Brisbane creative powerhouses UAP and Brisbane Festival. Teaching and sharing her passion for the design craft with her students ignites Frankie with a seemingly endless enthusiasm for all things design.

What do you love about design?

Design for me is about solving problems in the first place. I enjoy the challenge of identifying an issue, developing a solution—then distilling this into a concise design that is simple, and aesthetically pleasing. Every design brief is different as it always has humans at the heart. As designers we always continue to evolve to keep relevant and connect with the society and cultures we work in—we can never stop learning.

Why do you teach?

I love that moment when you see students’ eyes really open to the world of design—to see that design really is everywhere—and to help them find where they fit in. Being able to support them in developing their potential as new designers is incredibly rewarding and inspiring.

Tell us about your design career outside of Shillington.

After working in a small commercial studio on everything from branding to campaign and packaging design. I now run my own design studio working mostly with female entrepreneurs. I also do contract work occasionally, when interesting opportunities arise—such as Brisbane Festival ’19 or helping layout an urban arts strategy masterplan with UAP—to stretch my self and work on projects with a larger scope.

What or who are you loving right now?

I loved seeing Jessica Walsh launch her own agency &Walsh. I am also super exited about discovering new female type designers, such as Margot Lévêque.

If you were a typeface, what would you be?

I’d like to be GT Sectra … it’s refined but also a bit quirky around the edges, I love that contrast.

What’s your favourite blog?

99% Invisible, Typewolf, and BBC’s Podcast 50 Things that changed the modern Economy.