Our
Students

Where do you Work?
I’m currently working as a Design and Marketing Coordinator for the Australian Institute of Personal Trainers.
 
Describe your typical day as a designer?
I am lucky enough to be the sole designer for our brand so I get to work on anything from press ads, email campaigns to our very own magazine and everything inbetween! I also work on freelance projects on the side and run a small t-shirt project.
 
What do you love about being a designer?
I’ve always strived to make work not feel like work and, as a designer, the majority of your time is spent creating and dreaming!
 
When did you graduate from Shillington?
August 2009 (full time).
 
What area were you working in before the course?
I was selling coffee machines to unsuspecting folk.
 
Did you have any design experience before the course?
I had no formal experience but I had worked in a signage shop before I started the course. I knew from that moment I wanted to stop installing the signs and start designing them!
 
Why did you decide to do the course?
I stumbled on Shillington by accident. I had a job interview with a small design studio and I was severely inexperienced but the guy loved my enthusiasm.
He suggested I look at formal study before I tackled the industry again and told me about Shillington, so the recommendation came from within the design industry.
I did my own research on other Universities and private colleges but in the end Shillington stood out as an industry relevant course in an appropriate timeframe.
Plus they have awesome Macs in their studios!
 
What was the most valuable thing you took away from Shillington?
Deadlines! Since graduating and working out in the big bad world of design I have learnt that briefs take no prisoners! If you cannot work to real-world deadlines then you will be left behind.
The course has realistic deadlines built in to every brief and this made me very confident in meeting timeframes time and time again. I have also taken away some really great friendships professionally and personally.
If I ever need a second opinion on a design there are so many people ready to help!
 
How did you find the college environment, facilities and teaching?
Shillington operates like a real world studio and you feel like you are sitting down at your desk with your coffee at 8AM! It is early but it’s worth it. Being surrounded by other peers just as motivated as you are helps you push your designs further as well. I also can’t say enough about the teachers at Shillington. One of the main factors that appealed to me about Shillington is that the teachers are all practicing designers, not just solely 'lecturers'.
This means that so much of what is conveyed over the course is from their own knowledge, trials and errors, giving you a head start over a lot of other graduates who may not have worked alongside a practicing designer yet.
 
How confident did you feel about entering the design industry after you graduated?
I definitely felt a healthy level of nervousness when I first left Shillington. I quickly realised though, as I was hired for freelance or contact work, just how far I had come as a designer under Shillington’s guidance.
I hit the ground running on a lot of jobs because of all the practical knowledge I had acquired.
 
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
I guess there are highlights all the time, like helping small businesses bring their brand up to scratch and explaining to them the value of good design. One that really stands out though – I recently completed an iPad app layout which was a big challenge for me. Finishing it and seeing it fit into the company has been really rewarding.
 
Where do you see yourself 12 months from now?
Increasing my own personal projects and turning these into a profitable endeavours and furthering my career with bigger design challenges.
 
Any advice for someone pondering whether to take the leap into graphic design and sign up for the course?
If you are even considering the course, you know the value in studying at Shillington. I couldn’t have asked for a course more relevant or rewarding, delivered in a nurturing environment by so many experienced individuals.