“No one wants a conservative graphic designer.”

– JULIA ALISON DAVIS

Julia writes:

I grew up in the heart of the wine and surf district, three hours south from the most isolated city in the world. A love of digital illustration from a young age drove me into the (not that big) big city (Perth) to complete my Advance Diploma in Graphic Design at the Central Institute of Technology.

With graduation behind me, I would spend the next three years learning to code and design responsive user interfaces as a web and application designer for The Frontier Group. Wanting to explore more creative opportunities I packed up my PS4 and cat and moved to Melbourne. Jump forward to 2018, and I’ve graduated from RMIT with a Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design specialising in print and surface applications.

I’m interested in a diverse range and branches of design, but primarily those requiring illustrations to create or accentuate the design impact. Textile design has always felt like a perfect balance between the design world and an illustrative outlet.

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

I currently work as a textile designer for Bed Bath & Table

How did you get your first graphic design job?

My Folio was seen at the grad show and I was asked for an interview from there and got the job. It was for the (now gone) web devlopment company The Frontier Group.

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

Your folio is everything. I did not even graduate as I fell very ill in my final year and dropped some units and therefor did not actually complete my Advance Diploma. Despite that I still was invtited to show my folio at the Shine Exhibition and won the award for best Illustration, and was hired as a result of the show. I spent my time working on my folio and creating the best projects for it rather than graduating.

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

Great typography over everything else. Diversity. Left forward thinking. No one wants a conservative graphic designer.