Our
Students

Where do you work?
Iris Manchester.

Describe your typical day as a designer.
The days vary greatly depending on the briefs we have and how close we are to a pitch! There’s a good mix between the early creative development and the buzz in the Studio when we are near a deadline. One of the great things at Iris is being part of a team where everyone’s ideas are heard.

What do you love about being a designer?
The variation in my job is great, working with global brands from sportswear giants to confectionery to name but a few.

When did you graduate from Shillington?
I graduated in December 2010.

What area were you working in before the course?
Television Production Design.

Did you have any design experience before the course?
Yes, in the field of Production Design. Through this I had touched on Graphic Design and developed my interest in the area.

Why did you decide to do the course?
I’d had enough of my role in TV and became completely disillusioned with the industry, the position I had reached meant I didn’t get to do any graphic design any more and my role was more based around making lists and watching monitors. I didn’t feel like I had much opportunity to have any kind of creative input any longer.

What was the most valuable thing you took away from the course?
Being equipped with the skills and knowledge to take and translate a brief and produce a working result.

How did you find the college environment, facilities and teaching?
The studio was spot on, a nice relaxed space with great computers, the latest software and a useful library too. The teaching quality is fantastic, the teachers are all very patient and you benefit from a lot of one-to-one critiques.

How confident did you feel about entering the design industry after you graduated?
Fairly confident, I mean, changing career was always going to be difficult but Shillington do prepare you for it and help you to hone your portfolio with just the right mix of work to present. The student/teacher critiques were an essential part of getting everyone comfortable with talking about their work in a confident, positive way.

How long did it take you to secure a job?
It took six months to get my permanent role here at Iris but I was working on a freelance placement with them for three months prior to that. Before that I had a very useful placement at Studionorth too. So, all in all, in nine months I have retrained, changed career and secured an amazing job!

What was the response like to your portfolio during interviews?
Generally employers were very impressed, on the whole they were saying that it was streets ahead of what university graduates were producing and I think this is because, from day one, you are tackling real briefs.

What's been the highlight of your career so far?
Seeing work I had helped to create on display in a global sportswear brand’s store!

Where do you see yourself 12 months from now?
Still at Iris working with the team to continue to push the boundaries whilst building a healthy quantity of top class work to put in my folio!