So, one year I am a student at Nepean Arts & Design Centre, and within 12 months I'm an In-House Designer in London!!!I never thought life could work so fast. A junior designer fresh out of studying the Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design and Communications in Kingswood, straight to being head of Design at an amazing company, learning and creating so much, and loving it!!!
I'm not sure if it's pure luck, but when you want something in life, it happens because you really want it so bad and you feel it pulling you there, wherever it may be!
I started off in the Design Fundamentals class, which was so much fun, but I still had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, you know, my career, not just a job! Everyone was going on to do Graphic Design and Communications, so I followed, I really had no idea what was truly involved but I had to make some decision that would impact my career path, I felt. Turned out I loved that too. Lucky.
I followed the course through to my Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design and Communications and after doing two weeks Work Placement at an Advertising Agency in North Sydney called The Furnace they offered me part time work on the Digital Team. Advertising was not really what I wanted to do but I really didn't know for sure until I had tried it, but I loved the people there and learnt so much. I still use techniques and things I've learnt there, to this day.
I realised, never turn down experience because you just never know what you'll get out of it, even if you really did not like it, at least then you know for sure and are never left wondering! Meeting some amazing people along the way is always a major bonus - they can come in handy later in life...people with skills...think networking!
So, while I was studying, I had one of those, what would you call it, inspirational moments? A teacher was talking about an ex-NADC Design student who worked in London at the time and was becoming very successful within Design and going to Paris for lunch, just because he can! It probably went over everybody else's heads, but went right into mine and on those words, a few months after studying, I find myself in London.
I rang every design company, applied for every Design job I could find, even just for free work experience! Everybody was 'moving studios' or getting all the same calls I was throwing them. I tried branching out to a sea side town called Brighton, 50 mins out of London, and got responses straight away and did a month all up of free work experience at two different design studios, because I thought that was what I wanted ... a cute little design studio. One was called Crush Creative and the other Spook Studio. Realising, it didn't feel right being at either. Back to the London, unsure as ever.
Looking for any work now, I planted a job in a cafe for money, and something to fill my days and nights. After a few leads through relatives and after a few months of emails back and forth I finally met up with my current employer, Zara Grey and she offered me a job on the spot to come work for her doing all things design!
I started off redesigning the Zara Grey website, what is essentially a Photography Agency. They also have a Studio Space in Liverpool called Grey Space for Photoshoots and Catwalk Video. I redesigned that website also and have helped out on Shoots there doing small design work and generally helping out where I could.
We soon found ourselves liaising with a Fashion store in Liverpool called Cricket and I found out I was to redesigned their website also, as you could not purchase anything online, and now today it is a fully functioning e-commerce site with a blog and an online magazine, in which I design fortnightly along with fresh new front page banners. All the product and model stills are shot in our Grey Space Studio, and I clean and edit and format all hundreds of them also. Busy Busy Busy!
Along with all the work I am currently doing, I also have a few side projects in process, fit in Freelance work out of hours, and am currently teaching myself how to knite.
I also have a website, thisisliz Design, and a Facebook page, where I post my latest works, exhibitions going on, events, and anything design I come across that I like enough to want to share with others. And a tumblr of my photography - thisisliz Photography.
Even if you have No idea what area of design you want to get into, just try to experience as much as you can, ask everybody and anybody you know who can help you get your foot into the amazing world that is, the Design Industry.
