Meet Cat, Graphic Designer for an advertising agency in London.
What is your job title?
I’m now Senior Designer for a branding and advertising agency in London. We work with some of the leading brands in the UK
How long have you worked for the business?
Just under a year and hopefully for a few years to come!
What is the best thing about your job?
I love solving problems and providing solutions which is something I get to do everyday. For me there really is nothing better than taking a simplistic idea, moulding it into something complex and filling it full of meaning. When you see the impact this has on the people, stimulating them and making them connect at an emotional level it really is the best feeling.
Give us a brief summary of your career so far..
I studied product design at university with modules in interactive design , whilst there I pushed to get as much experience as I could. Volunteered to do design work for charities and local businesses, friends, whatever I could get really. After I graduated I did a few internships before one of these became a freelance positions and then eventually I became perm as a junior designer, for a small agency in London. I learnt loads here as the small team meant I had the opportunity to get involved in a range of projects from day one. The Creative Director there really was the best. I worked with them up till I was a Mid Weight Designer, which took 4 years and then joined my current agency as a Senior Designer last year.
When you were growing up, what did you want to be and why?
To be 100% honest I didn’t really have a set plan, I enjoyed art and all the creative side of things at school and my dad did a lot of CAD design for engineering, so I guess I had always seen someone doing design. I knew I wanted it to be more creative so the graphic and product design seemed like an obvious choice for me.
What do you think are the key skills from your past that enabled you to get the job you have today?
A good eye for design is always going to help! The experience is key, when I think back to the freelance work I did whilst at university it really helped with understanding a brief, working with a client and really putting yourself in someone else’s shoes – I learnt loads.
What advice do you have for someone looking to start a career in Design.
Gain experience, internships, freelance work whatever it takes but you need to come into the industry eyes open and it really helps further down the line. Also you’ve got to love what you do!
If you could tell your younger self anything, what would it be?
Don’t take things personally! It can be pretty cut throat in the design world you need pretty thick skin at times. Professional criticism is going to happen and the important thing is what you learn from it not taking it to heart.