“Be hungry, be humble, be responsive…”

— RUSSELL MANN

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

Started working in digital at Q Multimedia in Perth for 2 years, whilst also being a sessional lecturer in Typography at WASADM, then switched to branding in 1999/2000. Worked a various studios in Perth including Gino Giorgi and REB.

In 2004 I moved to London and worked at studios such as Browns, Winkreative, Made Thought, Greenspace and Dixon Baxi.

In 2011 I relocated to Melbourne and worked at Interbrand before becoming creative director at Clear Design, working on large scale rebrands for Dig Music, Double J, Radio National, Old Parliament House and Museums Victoria.

In 2018 I started my own practice Wonder+Work with my partner and co-creative director Sarah Morrison (also a WASADM alumni circa 2002). Projects include Targa Australia, Dutton One, Target Australia and OpenSet.

How did you get your first graphic design job?

Ringing design studios. Email was still in it's early days in the 90's! Word of mouth was huge in finding contacts.

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

Be hungry, be humble, be responsive.

Entering into the workforce is challenging as a student has spent the better part of 3+ years honing their skills. But there's a massive step up from student project to live projects and briefs working with real budgets. In the initial phase of employment a fresh graduate is potentially the most expensive (in terms of studio output) employee. They may have expectations of applying their skills, however matching the expectations v studio output / skill level / time awareness / etc is often a big reaslisation moment for a young designer.

Saying that... young designers can tend to be more broadly versed in new skills that can be a true value add to a design team.

Being real with young designers to help them understand the realities (without crushing their spirits) is incredibly important. Be prepared for the design briefs when they come, but be on the front foot with doing coffee runs, getting a room ready for a meeting or doing the dishes!

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

As many live projects with real budgets as possible. Mentor programs. Industry exposure.

At the time for me moving away was multifaceted. A mixture of itchy feet for something bigger, following friends doing the same journeys and Perth was pretty sleepy 20 years ago where job prospects were limited.

The best thing I have done for my career as a designer is leave Perth, it exposed me to so much more than I could have imagined. Saying that the hardest thing was getting to London and realising that your experience is almost worthless (at the time) as people would often ask Where is Perth again? My experience at the time was strong enough to get me a couple of foot in the door opportunity and when I got them I was... hungry, humble, responsive.

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

Eagerness + Skillset + Graft.

Young designers are a dime a dozen and some will not make it as designers. Taking on a young designer can be a real punt. I've had some experiences where the folio of the designer didn't match their attitude in the studio and visa versa where a folio was a little weak, but their commitment was next level. For me I don't always need the best designer, but I want someone who gets what I need, when it's needed, hungry to learn and any additional skills not in the studio are a massive bonus. ie. Animation, illustration, photography, retouching, 3D, social media, copywriting, code, UX/UI knowledge. Don't need to be experts, but understanding and knowledge of it is so beneficial.

For the win, if the designer understands there's a shortfall in the studio of a certain skill and can make time to learn the basics, that's incredible.

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

Figma
Creative Code
Good application of AI
3D — AR VR
Social Media (Nice looking tiles isn't enough. Understanding the platform is)

Old developments that are still important the fundamentals...
Solid typography skills
Understanding of colour space RBG v CMYK v Spot Colours
Photography
Workshops
Understanding Strategy
Time Management
Project Documentation (after a project is complete, how to present it efficiently and effectively)
Self Promotion