“Design is changing at such an exponential speed”

— ZORAYDA DEE DADIS

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

Right after graduation, I started working as a Freelancer at Studio Papa - helping with retouching and videography. I continued on with my Multimedia Design work with KEITHSIM (a fashion brand in Malaysia) whom I was already working with during study; then worked as a Graphic Designer & Content Creator at The Quick Flick. After that, I moved on to Brainbox as their Graphic Designer and Marketing Manager.

How did you get your first graphic design job?

I was already doing my Multimedia Design for KEITHSIM while studying graphic design. My first role in a design agency was with Studio Papa, and I honestly just reached out and asked for a portfolio review. I was offered a freelance role either around the same time or after that.

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

Build your connections now - from Behance and LinkedIn to Networking Events. Get involved in the community. Also, utilise LinkedIn. Looking back, these are definitely some of the things I could've done more of.

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

Interactive and experiential design.

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

Adaptability, resilience and good communication

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

AI is the most exciting development happening, in my opinion. There's also automation and AR, but those have been around for a while. I can't say what you should focus on in particular, but delving into the new and emerging technology and honing soft transferable skills can prepare students for industry shake ups.

Design is changing at such an exponential speed. Keeping the NM TAFE Design curriculum up-to-date and checking its relevance on a quarterly basis can immensely help keep the course stay resilient.

As for daily operations, creating your own brief, writing contracts, finance, understanding your price are among some of the many things I would recommend for students - since I found myself having to learn these from scratch with unnecessary trials and errors.