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Although our courses may not seem very long they have been refined over the years in order for you to get the most out of every single hour. The combination of learning the software, understanding the theory and principles of design and working on typical briefs to realistic industry deadlines in a studio environment has been extremely successful in preparing students for their first industry role or furthering the careers of those already working as designers.

Not necessarily. When employing a junior designer, most employers would initially look at an applicant's portfolio to see what their work was like. If their work was poor it is unlikely they would ask that person in for an interview regardless of their academic achievements. At Shillington College your portfolio is created from the briefs that you work on during the course. Each piece of work would have been created using the design software and within realistic timeframes. Refer to our employers section of the website for more information.

Shillington College was established due to a gap in the education system whereby new graduates were not being taught the necessary software skills needed to produce commercial work. Other courses can either be very lengthy; teaching students a lot of theory but not enough practical / commercial skills or are short courses that focus on teaching the software alone. At Shillington College we strike a balance between learning the theory and principles of design but also knowing how to use design software to produce commercially viable work. Our studio environment prepares students in a realistic design environment enabling them to 'hit the ground running' as soon as they finish the course. Its success has allowed Shillington College to become world class, with three campuses in Australia, two in the UK and one in New York.

As you may have read in the about us section, Shillington College started life as a graphic design studio in 1989. The first course was run in Sydney, Australia in 1997 and since then it has gone from strength to strength, opening its first international campus in 2008. The course is always being refined whilst continuously evolving in line with the design industry and will continue to do so as it is one of the main reasons for the college's success.

The lecturers at Shillington College are all passionate professionals who are keen to pass on their knowledge and experience to the next generation of creative talent. The majority of full-time lecturers continue to freelance in their spare time and our part-time lecturers all have full-time roles in the industry. All are exceptional designers and great mentors. There are two lecturers per class and we occasionally swap the teachers around so that students experience lecturers from our other colleges. We also invite guest lecturers to share their knowledge and experiences of the graphic design industry.                               

You do not need to sit an interview or show us a portfolio of work in order to enrol on the course. We just want you to be passionate about learning design and 100% committed. We do ask that you have excellent English skills if English is not your first language. You do not have to have used a Mac before and we don't expect you to have used the Creative Suite design programs but we do ask that you have access to a computer and the software out of college hours.                               

Unfortunately we can't ever guarantee that, as much as we would love to, but what we can say is; if you apply yourself throughout the course, listen to the advice of the lecturers and build strong relationships during your time here you will leave with the best chance of finding work afterwards. Refer to our graduates section of the website for more information.

The majority of our students go on to work in the industry after graduating if that was the purpose of their time studying with us. Sometimes we have students who want to add graphic design to the skill-set of their current role but aren't necessarily looking to change jobs. We follow-up past-students in order to obtain testimonials from them for our graduates section. We can confidently say that if our students didn't find work after the course the college wouldn't have the great reputation that it has and our courses wouldn't continuously fill.                               

Being able to source opportunities and apply for them independently is an important step to entering the workforce and is something that we encourage. However, we are regularly approached by studios that are looking for talented designers and are always happy to recommend graduates. As the classes are small and intimate, strong friendships are formed between students and many people learn of roles through old classmates and past lecturers. We also have a blog where we post opportunities for students, a twitter account where we often retweet jobs and a facebook page where you can network under the 'discussions' section. Aside from this, a large section at the end of the course is dedicated to finding work. Throughout the course we will have encouraged you to talk about your design in the language that other designers know and understand so you should feel confident discussing your portfolio of work with any potential employer. 

The two courses are effectively the same, just structured slightly differently to allow for students to work as well as study if they need to. Some students prefer the intensive nature of the full-time course whereas other students learn better when they have more time to absorb and practice what they've just been taught. There's no right or wrong way, just what works for you.

The majority of students complete this course as they want the best possible chance of obtaining a design role when they graduate. Therefore what you put into the course will be reflected by the quality of your portfolio.

We ask all of our students to keep a Visual Diary. This is a collection of inspirational pieces of design, textures, photos, typography, illustrations, ads etc (this is something you can start before signing up for the course).

In the full-time course the majority of work can be done during college hours although students should allow at least 4 hours a week of their own time for homework each week. In the part-time course it is beneficial if students use their own time at weekends or between classes in order to research and prepare for briefs. Part-time students should dedicate 7 hours of their own time each week for homework in order to get the best out of the course. This time can vary from week to week and some weeks you might not have so much but do allow more time towards the end of the course when you're finishing off your final pieces for your portfolio.

This is primarily a print-based graphic design course. We have introduced a 'designing for web' component into our existing course as we acknowledge the shift to online design and the importance of understanding how to design a web interface using InDesign, Photoshop and Illustrator. When designing the look and feel of a website the same design principles are required as print design, ensuring that a website looks good and is easy for the user to navigate and this is the job of a designer. A programmer can then create the code in the back-end order to make it work effectively.

We always have a number of students who are already working as graphic designers or who have studied at other design colleges or Universities. Their reasons for studying vary. Some are self-taught in the software or studied a long time ago and feel that they need to up-skill, some feel that they need to get the edge back into their commercial work, some feel that their portfolios are lacking and others may feel that their previous courses haven't taught them the real essentials of being a working designer. Whatever the reason, these students benefit enormously from studying the Graphic Design Course at Shillington College even with prior design experience.

To be a graphic designer you don't necessarily have to be a good artist in the traditional sense. During the course you will need to do some rough sketches (thumbnails) in order to develop your concept before you start working on the computer but your drawing ability will not be scrutinised.

Please request more information and you will be emailed a PDF the application form for your chosen location (check your spam folder if you don't receive it straight away). This contains information on the fees and instalment plans available.

We have instalment plans available to pay for our courses (no interest, no credit check). Full details of the fees and instalment plans can be found on the application forms. If you request more information you'll be emailed one right away.

Payments can be made by bank transfer, cheque, bankers draft or cash.

Please contact the Studio Manager for more information.

We are a private college and unfortunately cannot offer any assistance with the course fees. We do however offer the option to pay via instalments which many students find useful. Details of our course fees and instalment plan options will be emailed to you if you Request More Information.

You will be required to purchase some equipment as part of your course. Below is our suggested list and prices should be used as a guide only:

Start of course (day one):
A4 ring binder £3
A4 sheet protectors £6
A4 spiral bound notebook with blank pages £4
Pen £1
Highlighter £2

During course:
USB or hard drive for backing up work £10 to £150
Pilot fineliner £3
Lead pencil 2B/4B/6B/Eraser £5

End of course:
A3 portfolio £40 to £250
Clear PVC sleeves for portfolio £1 per sleeve
Cutting mat, steel ruler and scalpel £30

Printing costs:
Assessed brief (mid-course) £5
Portfolio (end of course) £45
Graduation poster (A2-A0) £25

It is required that you have access to a computer with the Adobe Creative Suite outside of college hours. Shillington students who are resident in the UK are entitled to a student discount on the Adobe programs.

You will not need to buy any books as the colleges have extensive libraries of design books and magazines for your use during college hours.

At Shillington we use the Adobe Creative Suite (Design Standard). This includes InDesign, Illustrator, Photoshop and Acrobat. We have a special agreement with Adobe so that our students can receive the student discount even though our courses are shorter than what is usually required. This means that the software is around £250 rather than £1,250. As you receive such a big discount while you're a student, it may be worthwhile purchasing the Design Premium version of the programs (containing Dreamweaver, Flash etc). Although we don't teach these additional programs on our graphic design course, it still might be worthwhile having the software at home.

Please note that you cannot obtain a license for the discounted Adobe programs until you have started our course. You will require a letter from us which we issue on day one. If you are keen to look at the programs before you start then you can always download a 30 day free trial.

All students are asked to have access to a computer and the design software out of college hours but this is particularly important for part-time students. In order to obtain the best results you are encouraged to do more work in your own time and to practice what you have learnt between classes.

A home computer is a worthwhile investment for both during and after the course and you may be entitled to a discount on computer hardware while you're a student with us. All of our students are eligible for a discount on the Adobe Software.

At Shillington College we use mac computers and you will find that the majority of the industry use the same. However, if you already have a PC at home you can purchase the PC version of the Adobe software. There are minimal differences between mac and PC versions of programs and you may initially have an issue with the fonts but there are ways to work around this.

We usually have a few international students on each course. Your fees will be the same as the local students but you cannot obtain a student visa through the college. Therefore you will need to ensure that you are able to legally remain in the country for the duration of the course. You will need to liaise with your local British embassy in order to see if you are eligible to obtain an appropriate visa.

It is essential that, if English is not your first language, your English skills are excellent. You will need to have scored at least 5.5 in the IELTS test or have had a verbal interview with the Studio Manager before enroling on the course. Our course can be fast-paced and if you are struggling to understand what is being said you won't be getting the most out of it so it's for your own benefit as well as your lecturers and fellow students.              

Unfortunately we cannot provide accommodation for you but you may find the links below useful:

Spareroom
Easyroommate
Gumtree
Moveflat (London only)

Another option to try is to start a discussion on our Facebook page.

There are limited places on each course and applications are taken on a first come first served basis. If you intend to enrol then it is best to get your application in as early as possible. There may sometimes be availability a couple days before a course starts but usually courses fill a month or so in advance. We can't enrol you without a completed application form and deposit. If you wish to go on a waiting list please email the Studio Manager stating the course and location. You must also include a contact number. Please note that being on the waiting list does not guarantee you a place on the course but, if someone who is enrolled has to cancel or transfer before the start of the course, then you may be able to take their place.

Great! If you request more information you will be emailed an application form immediately (check your spam folder if you don't receive it straight away).
You will need to either print the application form from the email or wait for the hardcopy that accompanies the brochure in the post (if you opted for one when you registered).

Please complete both sides and post it to:

Studio Manager 
Lvl 7 East India House
109—117 Middlesex Street
London
E1 7JF

This must be accompanied by the deposit (unless you have opted to pay by transfer). Please refer to the FAQ How can I pay for the course? for our accepted payment methods.

Alternatively you can scan the completed form and email it to the Studio Manager but it can't be processed until your deposit has been received. Please ensure you read the terms and conditions of enrolment on the application form.

As long as there are places on your chosen course (always best to check with us beforehand) and you've sent in the completed application form and deposit we should be able to enrol you straight away.

You will receive a Confirmation of Enrolment (COE) in the mail. If you don't receive this within 7 days of applying please contact us to make sure there are no issues. The COE contains information of when the course starts and when the fees are due. Please note that if you wish to pay the balance prior to the course commencment date then you are more than welcome to do so. If paying by bank transfer, please use your full name as the reference so that we can reconcile any payments.

You will receive an email from us approximately 7 to 14 days prior to the start of the course. This contains further information about what to expect on day one of the course but, in short, you will need:

• A note book and pen
• An A4 Binder and some plastic A4 sleeves for your handouts
• Your initial payment

Day one of the course is really an induction where we go through all of the admin requirements as well as other things such as software, visual diaries and course structure etc.

As a Shillington student you will be eligible for the student discount on the software. Please note that you need to wait until the course starts before you can purchase the student version from Adobe as they require a letter from us confirming that you are a student. This will be issued at the start of the course.

Many of you are keen to get going and that's great, we love people as keen as you! We suggest that you start looking at our blog as well as the other recommended blogs listed there. You can also start collecting examples of design that you like (press ads, business cards, colour swatches, post cards, annual reports, brochures, flyers, packaging, textiles, patterns...), whatever you find inspiring.

We also can't recommend Social Media enough, especially in our industry, so get yourself a Twitter account and start following designers, studios and industry bodies (as well as Shillington of course). If you're not sure who to follow have a look at who we follow as a start. Also join our Facebook page as we're constantly posting inspirational links. Finally there is LinkedIn. Joining all of these network will give you a good head start with getting a feel for the industry and with starting to make contacts.

If you have any other questions then please feel free to get in touch but otherwise we look forward to welcoming you to the course!