Graphic Design graduates talk about life in the world of design

Meera Mistry has always shown a creative streak and following her recent graduation from BA (Hons) Graphic Design, she is now tackling the design industry head-on, gaining agency experience in her pursuit of a career in app & tablet design and video/ social marketing.

“My passion for the arts, design and media motivated my secondary education choices, and I continued with BTEC Foundation Studies in Art & Design followed by a BA (Hons) degree in Graphic Design at the University ofLincoln, which saw my work recognised by the International Society of Typographic Designers (pass) and the RSA (shortlisted) assessments, and the opportunity to exhibit my work at D&AD New Blood 2008.

“Knowing that professional experience would promote learning, development as a designer, awareness of and exposure to the reality of the design industry, my summer vacations during university and upon graduation were busy: I pro-actively knocked on studio doors for opportunities and sent out handmade self-promotion goodies to kick-start conversation. Travelling to various design agencies across the country for internships encouraged me to take new challenges and step out of my comfort zones.

“My work has therefore been wide-ranging since my position at Alight Digital Design Agency working on name and brand identity for new companies; brand guidelines; graphic design; digital strategy; web design (including User Experience and User Interface) for showcase; E-commerce; CMS and portfolio websites across small to large clients. I am currently freelancing print, web and personal projects, as well as self-training in video and animation production.

“I take inspiration from many sources when generating ideas and designing: random conversations with friends and family; society; moaning; photos; quirky social events; films; fashion; food packaging; music; media; personal experiences. In short, the more random and wittier, the better!  As for the present, I am continuing to explore new areas in graphic and web, gaining broader agency experience and working towards a future in app/tablet design, video and social marketing.”

Fellow Graphic Design graduate Dan Haigh had this to say about his experience on Graphic Design at Lincoln: “At Lincoln I learnt to broaden my horizons and focus more on the concept behind a piece of work rather than just producing work that will look good and sell stuff.  Having just finished University, I needed a new challenge, some new/different experiences and have managed to get a job in China to broaden my horizons.

"Having rekindled my love for drawing on a recent project, drawing famous musicians, now I can’t put my sketch book down! I’m interested, and can work within all areas of design. I’ve used my education to work in different aspects of design to not pigeon-hole myself.”