“Never stop learning!”

— DANIEL MCKEATING

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

I am so grateful for the education that I received at the Western Australia School of Art, Design & Media (WASADM and then renamed to Central TAFE), back in the late 90s / early 2000s. I owe a debt of gratitude to my lecturers / mentors... Neil Hollis, Jon Greenwood, and Jeremy Williams, in particular. TAFE paved the way for me to undertake further studies at Curtin University, and later, at RMIT University in Melbourne.

How did you get your first graphic design job?

I was offered some freelance work at Braincells agency (Claremont) after graduating from TAFE. I learned a lot during this time, but I decided to complete an extra year at Curtin University to obtain a Bachelor's Degree qualification. After graduating from Curtin, I was lucky enough to be offered a full-time junior design position at Chameleon Creative (now Dash Digital).

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

Never stop learning! Postgraduate education is such a personal thing. This could entail short courses in areas that are of interest to you, or more comprehensive, long-term programs (e.g. additional diplomas, degrees, etc).

My postgraduate interests were in the areas of brand strategy, design thinking, and creative advertising. I ended up completing a Mater of Communication Design through RMIT University, with a focus in these areas (class of 2009).

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

More places and events for designers to hang out and talk shop!

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

I'm not sure that I am qualified to answer this, but I am happy to provide my two cents, for what it's worth...

In my view the best designers are strategic problem solvers who aim for responsible creative output. What I mean is, design shouldn't be about making things look pretty, but rather, communicating messages and/or solving problems for users or audiences.
Human Centred Design for the win!

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

I guess we (educational institutions) need to deal with this Artificial Intelligence thing pretty soon!

See more over at http://www.studiolostandfound.com