“To never stop pushing yourself, it’s easy to become stagnant, but please keep learning.”

— CALLUM MACRAE

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

I have worked at several agencies around Perth. Beginning my career at Egg Design Group I worked on heavily corporate accounts while developing my skills in UX Design. This was a great launch position as I was given responsibility over some big (predominantly mining) projects that evolved my skills as a designer.

My next role was at a Digital Agency called Clue. From here I worked on some amazing projects including Sommer Swin, Mt Barker Chicken, HIF, Cancer Council, The Secret Skincare and more. I ran intense design workshops and explored my own potential and was able to take charge on my own career path.

I ended up doing a short stint at an agency and sadly we didn't align with the role expectations. I learnt as much as I could there before sticking to my guns and moving on.

I am now working within the Search Marketing field at Perth's longest-running SEO agency, White Chalk Road, where I am able to use my expert technical knowledge of websites to optimise websites for business owners and allow them to be discovered by users on Google.

How did you get your first graphic design job?

Word of mouth. I talked to everyone at my grad night, including my future employer who was able to bring me in for my interview where I was offered the position.

My suggestion is to start networking yesterday, Perth is small and people seem to hire based on who they like and get along with, as well as skill. Get a head start by going to networking events and actively introducing yourself, it's uncomfortable at first but you'll get into it soon enough.

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

Learn video and animation software, get across social media formats and trends. The beauty of studying right now is so many designers don't have the skills of the modern area. Put yourself in the best position possible by becoming the best at things other designers have no idea how to do!

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

Multidisciplinary designers who can easily jump from web design to video editing and print when needed.

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

To never stop pushing yourself, it's easy to become stagnant but please keep learning. Sign up for courses, try new design styles, find your own viewpoint on every project and make it your own.

Please list some awesome new developments happening right now in the design industry.

I think something that really hit me like a bus entering web design in industry is how much technical knowledge I was missing regarding setting up design systems, grids, handover etc. Editing templates for exisiting website themes is a viable way for young designers to easily build their own client base without needing a developer and there's now plenty of software out there to help them.

I don’t know if that will be best for their portfolios but it's a practical skill that will help them in the long run.