“Success depends on more than just good design skills.”

— BEN HAGLEY

Tell us a little about your experiences since. Where have you worked? Where do you work now?

In my early career my education was essential in setting a foundation for what was to come in the industry. Unfortunately it was a very small foundation :)

How did you get your first graphic design job?

A friend was working at a company and put my name forward. Interviewed and got the job.

Talk about the general monotony of certain types of work and how you cope?

Monotonous work is part of the deal sometimes. Some tasks can be repetitive or just super boring but it's gotta get done. I try to stay positive and see the benefit or opportunity in every project or task. One thing I find really helpful is timing monotonous work for a time of day that works best for me. For example, anything repetitive and boring that doesn't need much brain work I'll try and schedule for the end of the day.

Can you talk about Graphic Design as a sustainable and profitable career choice. As wages have stagnated and inflation continues to rise, what are your thoughts on why graphic designers are so important in the marketing mix, but paid so poorly?

There's certainly a ceiling to how much we can earn. It seems at some point the option is either negotiate or change jobs. Moving towards roles with more responsibility usually means better pay but I've come to think that the additional stress and longer working hours doesn't really seem to be worth it..

Describe your work life balance comparisons from freelancer / small business experiences and now agency land — We are particularly keen to hear your thoughts on this landscape of options?

Work life balance has been a constant battle. Freelancing was good in that I could structure my work in a way that suited me however it also meant that I was usually working 6 or 7 days a week and around the clock. This probably had something to do with my poor planning and taking on too many projects at once but I think it's a common experience with freelancers.

Agency and small studio roles can be good or bad depending on the culture. There's often an expectation or pressure to work unpaid overtime. That's wage theft champ, don't do it. An agency with a good culture is usually cool with flexible working hours and they plan well so overtime isn't needed (sometimes it is unavoidable though). Also, the benefits of paid leave are huge. I missed this a lot as a freelancer.

The in-house roles I've had probably have been pretty varied. At their best they were some of the most comfortable experiences I've had with excellent work/life balance. Very flexible working hours and shorter days and very manageable work loads and of course, that sweet sweet paid leave. At worst they are no better than an agency or studio where there is an expectation you will work unpaid overtime and suffer because of other's poor planning.

What advice would you give to Graphic Design students studying at NM TAFE right now?

Self educate in design, don't rely on the course to teach you everything. Especially typography. Understand what it means to be good to work with (and effective) from both your colleagues perspective and as well as a clients perspective. You are providing a service and you will often work in a team. Success depends on more than just good design skills.

What is post-pandemic Perth design in need of most?

Beyond the usual Perth design market of mining, property and hospo clients all bread and butter but not doing much for the community. Personally I'd like to see more design led initiatives trying crazy shit for the sake of using design for something other than selling shit.

What do you think are the most important qualities in a graphic designer?

Practise. Volume. Critical thinking. Openness to feedback. Collaboration. Good communication skills. Attention to detail. Initiative (they didn't ask for it but you know they'll need it, then propose it)

In terms of the future, this Ai shit seems to be popping off at the moment. Using Chat GDP to help initiate creative thinking is new to me but looks promising. Remember to focus on typography, layout, design principles, creative process and critical thinking.