“Changing the way people feel about their environments can change the way they feel about themselves.”

– BONNIE MACHELL

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

I am working for Seau Studio and contract for Hillam Architects. For Hillam I applied via seek.com but my current role for Seau was via the lead architect approaching me after we met at a social gathering

How did you get your first design job or solo exhibition?

My advice is be diligent in learning the Adobe suite - esp In Design and Photoshop.

These should be mandatory even for first years use in order to put together all assessments- ban canva and powerpoint and get them into In Design from the start! Students need to hone their skills and work on their attention to detail in Autocad and Revit. So many hours spent documenting! Every commercial role and now some residential companies are asking for Revit skills and I see Revit is now a key piece of software to learn.

What advice would you give to current Art & Design students studying at NM TAFE right now?

My advice is be diligent in learning the Adobe suite — especially InDesign and Photoshop.

These should be mandatory even for first years use in order to put together all assessments- ban canva and powerpoint and get them into In Design from the start! Students need to hone their skills and work on their attention to detail in Autocad and Revit. So many hours spent documenting! Every commercial role and now some residential companies are asking for Revit skills and I see Revit is now a key piece of software to learn.

What can Perth and Western Australia do to support graduating diverse range of Art & Design students more?

I'd like to suggest that students and lecturers alike need to be plugged into progressive design that is coming out from Milan Design week, Colour forecasting etc and keeping up to speed with what is going on over east with established companies like EST Living, the Local Project, follow Architects and brands that are leading the way in Australia- eg Flack Studios, YSG Studio, Arent & Pyke, Madeleine Blanchfield Architects etc. I dont think students need to move interstate but they need to keep their finger on the (design) pulse

What do you think are the most important qualities in an emerging designer or artist?

Confident in communicating concepts and design to clients, documentation is super important, an understanding of their own ethos and sense of design style/approach, attention to detail/ sketchup and rendering is key. A love for materials and what works together... And without Adobe suite skills esp In Design- they will be limited in who hires them.

Please list some awesome new developments happening right now in the Art & Design industry that you are excited by.

I cant express enough how important In Design and Photoshop, Rendering, Revit as well as AutoCAD are.

And yet the organic side of drawing classes are also key to helping students understand spatial planning and learning how to sketch and then this skill will help students understand design in sketchup. It's a very technical industry out there!