Graphic Design Teacher
Online

Tina Victoria Afshar

Tina Victoria Afshar is an independent visual communicator living and working in Melbourne, Australia. Her work involves collaborating with clients to create designs and animations that are inclusive, strategic and own their personality.

Since graduating with a Bachelor of Design at Monash University in 2014, Tina has worked in professional roles at Melbourne agencies Studio Round, Common State, The HM Group and Love + Money Agency.

Tina’s love for the design community saw her spend five years as a councilwoman and secretary at AGDA Victoria; a co-producer of the Simple Gestures exhibition, which featured works by various high-profile creatives to raise money for youth with cancer via The Alfred Hospital’s Melanoma Clinic. In 2019, she became a co-curator of Broads Down Under, a directory of women and non-binary people in the Australian creative industry.

What do you love about design?

I love beginning the design journey with a client or collaborator and finding their brand story together. There is a beautiful, endless depth of opportunity for both storytelling and creative thinking in our industry, that I’m never not dazzled, awed and impressed by the ideas and executions of other designers.

Why do you teach?

It feels genuinely thrilling and fulfilling to partner with another creative on their design-learning journey. I believe it helps build a sense of community and a great habit of paying it forward in sharing the knowledge we received.

Tell us about your design career outside of Shillington.

Outside of Shillington, I am typically working as an independent designer on branding and animation projects with clients. For the past five years, I have worked as a designer in studios across Melbourne and am thrilled to be branching out on my own. Away from the keyboard and in front of the mic, I co-host a weekly storytelling podcast—Story Hotline—where listeners can enjoy tales from history, culture and sometimes space.

What or who are you loving right now?

Bruno Munari! I have rediscovered his books from my bookshelf and am diving back into his mind. It’s thrilling.

If you were a typeface, what would you be?

Right Grotesk by Pangram Pangram. It’s has about a million different variables to match my many moods and personalities.

What’s your favourite blog?

I can never go passed Amit’s considerate critiques on Brand New’s blog.

I have also just subscribed to author Roxane Gay’s newsletter, The Audacity. I find her weekly roundups and musings so engaging. Sometimes the conversation is political, creative or relevant to what’s in the air.