What does it mean to be a Graphic Arts student in Melbourne?

I view it as an opportunity to contribute to the ever-growing society and culture of Melbourne; creating a lane that allows you to add your individual interpretation, passion and creativity whilst communicating a message. The fact that Melbourne is an artistically open and welcoming city makes it easy for students and budding designers to build relationships within the industry and expand their network – allowing future career dreams to be more accessible and realistic.

 

 

Has living in Melbourne inspired your art in any way?

Definitely, Melbourne is a very innovative environment with a growing emphasis on creative expression; the constantly evolving culture allows me to delve into various individual directions with my design work. There are numerous creative events held in Melbourne throughout the year, allowing me to constantly remain stimulated and intrigued by the creativity I am exposed to.

Although I’m not directly in the fashion and architecture industries, I find myself captivated by street style and building design I come across on a daily basis. I am significantly inspired by the individual styles of those not afraid to express themselves and the fact that there isn’t one definitive style in Melbourne.

 

 

How do you approach your design projects?

When I receive a design brief, the first step I take is to conduct thorough research on the specific topic/ field that it’s related to – studying the brand or company, seeing what’s been done previously and simultaneously gaining inspiration from several sources. Then I brainstorm a series of initial concepts and rough ideas (usually between 30-50) and narrow it down to a few, of which I’ll develop several different versions in sketch form.

When I have approached a conclusive concept that I’m happy with, I’ll take it into digital form and begin to refine it, considering colour schemes and any additional details until I reach a design that I believe is aesthetically pleasing whilst also meeting the requirements of the brief.

 

 

What advice would you give to someone looking into getting into Graphic Arts?

It’s an extremely rewarding industry that allows you to constantly explore and adapt to different techniques, learning various skills that ultimately help to form your personal style. I definitely encourage looking into several institutes that offer Graphic Arts courses and ensure you choose the one that is most suitable to help you achieve your personal aspirations. I would also recommend making the most of all design recourses that are available online, having a look at free design tutorials and blogs that offer advice and inspiration.

 

What’s the most/least enjoyable part of being a graphic arts student?

 

Most enjoyable:

Being able to see your initial concept develop into a complete product, I really enjoy the process of bringing an idea to reality and creating aesthetically pleasing, conceptual work.

I think the fact that graphic design is such a narrow field, as students we are given briefs from diverse industries which is a great learning opportunity, pushing you out of your comfort zone and allowing you to explore different techniques and styles.

The teachers and lecturers at the Australian Academy of Design all have significant experience in the design industry, so it’s rewarding to be able to learn from those who have direct involvement in the field – it’s a laid back, friendly environment that allows students to pick at their brains and soak up as many tips as possible

 

Least enjoyable:

Working to tight deadlines, time-management is personally my biggest struggle as I constantly find myself going back and forth trying to perfect the minor details of my work.

Specific requirements on design briefs limit creative ability, as often the concept you think is best doesn’t suit the requests of your teacher/lecturer.

Doing freelance work as a graphic design student, clients are likely to not take you seriously and can take advantage of your skills, making the design process twice as complex and time consuming as initially agreed upon.

 

what made you want to study Graphic Design?

I’ve always had an interest in drawing from a young age (cliché random sketches in school books) and countless hours spent customizing HTML layouts for Piczo/Bebo/Myspace accounts which made me realize how much I enjoyed web and digital design. It wasn’t until taking Interactive Digital Media in VCE that I became familiar with design programs such as Illustrator and Photoshop, and immediately grew a passion for them. I began to notice minor design details in my everyday life - seeing a logo or ad design and thinking “they should have done that differently” or “that would look better if…”. I chose to study graphic design as I saw it as the perfect opportunity to explore my creativity and self-expression with little to no restrictions, pursuing what I am passionate about and captivated by. Dream job: There are so many opportunities and routes that stem from studying Graphic Design that my ‘dream job’ seems to change every few months. But I think ultimately I would like to be working as creative director of a magazine or advertising agency.