Where do you work?
I work at an ad agency on the gold coast called Oxygen Live. We specialise in a number of different areas such as creative services, web design & development, campaign management, digital advertising & design, mobile advertising, social media marketing, event management and SEO.
What is your role?
My role consists of mostly print design ranging from (but not limited to) logo design, stationary design, menu design, brochure design & DL flyers. The creative director for Oxygen is also training me on web design which I am looking forward to. We also run two events on the Gold Coast ‘Dirty Sundays’ and ‘Jak & Jil’ which I have input into and do a lot of the artwork for.
Describe your typical day as a designer.
I kick my day off at about 9am and log into our time management software ‘harvest’ to see what jobs are to be started/completed. We have regular WIP meetings throughout the day also to see where we are with specific jobs so they can be presented to the client and signed for approval. More importantly I spend most part of my day researching material for clients, putting pen to paper to draw those important thumbnails then creating the final product on my mac.
What do you love about being a designer?
I love the diversity; jobs which always keep me on my toes and wondering what I might be getting next. I also love the people who love design which contributes to a fun and exciting work environment.
When did you graduate from Shillington?
November 2009.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
This would have to be getting my first job as a designer with Oxygen Live. I had my graduation on a Friday and started my new job the following Monday. My next best highlight would be doing this interview for Shillington. I feel extremely privileged that they chose me for this opportunity.
What area were you working in before the course?
I was studying a business major at QUT and graduated at the end of 2008. I travelled to America where I did a snow season in Vail, Colorado working as a lift operator. I then returned to Australia and that’s when I decided to further my experience by doing a graphic design course at Shillington.
Did you have any design experience before the course?
None at all. I thought I had a basic understanding of design until I studied at Shillington.
Why did you decide to do the course?
I feel design and advertising have a strong relationship and having studied advertising at QUT I figured studying design would give me a competitive edge when looking for that ideal job. My goal is to work for a big agency overseas so the more knowledge the better.
What was the most valuable thing you took away from the course?
The ability to design would be the most valuable.
How did you find the college environment, facilities and teaching?
Great! It’s structured to feel like you are actually working in an agency environment. You get real life briefs with real life deadlines. It helped to prepare me for the real world.
How confident did you feel about entering the design industry after you graduated?
I’m only human so to be honest I still felt a little nervous about starting my first job. But in saying that, I felt confident in the work I was producing for our clients.
How long did it take you to secure a job?
I was lucky enough to secure my job whilst still studying at Shillington. I sent through pieces I had been working on whilst studying and that was enough to get me my first job. As I said earlier, I graduated on a Friday and started work the next Monday.
What was the response like to your portfolio during interviews?
I did not get the opportunity to show off my portfolio in interviews as I had already secured a job. However, I did receive an excellence award for my portfolio from Shillington on graduation night.
Any advice for someone wondering whether to take the leap into graphic design and sign up for the course?
Just do it! I took the leap and would never look back.
Where do you see yourself 12 months from now?
Working for a big ad agency. I would love to work with big clients on big campaigns. In the meantime I am going to focus on expanding my experience and building a killer portfolio.
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