What did you study?
Bachelor of Media Design
What have you been up to since you graduated?
I started out in social media, creating graphic design content for Instagram and Facebook. I made connections in the hospitality industry which allowed me to do some branding for them. That improved my portfolio and was the key to getting my current role as a Creative Developer/Graphic Designer at FINCH, a film production company.
What advice do you have for students currently studying at Media Design School?
You need an excellent portfolio to get a job. Work on personal/commercial projects as much as you can. Always go to class. Never get set on an idea because it will always grow and change and that will be a better idea. Always discuss your idea with others, and expand your horizons. Document your work/process as you go.
What inspires you the most?
Film, human emotion, interaction.
Is there a piece of design work or a film out there that you wish you'd created yourself? Which one and why?
HUNDREDS!! Perhaps the film The Love Witch directed by Anna Biller.
I love it because it is so colourful and the art direction, costume and make up is superb. It pulls together graphic design sensibilities with occult storytelling. The film's visuals are inspired by 1960's new wave cinema and the director made most of the set, costumes and props herself. She is amazing.
What were some of the initial challenges that you faced?
Understanding what constitutes a fully formed or realised idea. To be honest, that will always be a grey area. Also figuring out which major to take.
Were there any lecturers at Media Design School who stood out to you as influential or inspirational?
YES. Maria I will love forever. She was so open to us approaching anything from our own perspective. She is incredibly encouraging and warm. She made the experience incredible for me.
Steve is another person who really inspired me. Pushing us out of traditional graphic design and teaching us to think in different ways was really instrumental to me staying with design and viewing it as an art form instead of just a commercial industry.
Meighan was also amazing. She gave us real world examples and she as an artist is very inspiring to me. I love that she was able to walk us through her practises. I find examples to be VERY necessary in understanding anything.
Kate! What an icon. I love that she took no bullshit. I also found the whole idea of creative advertising and experiential design to be a real game changer for me.
Was there a memory that stood out for you during your time at Media Design School?
My favourite memory was in third year for my first project of the year, I tried to cast hands in resin to create a doorknob. The idea was that physical touch was necessary to enter space. The ideas of ritual and intimacy were central to this. As i was casting it, I realised I needed to put something door handle shaped into the resin to create a space for the object to be installed onto the door. I used a knife in the kitchen and put a condom over it, hoping that the knife handle would slide out when the resin had set. IT DIDN'T. And so i had a hand with a knife blade out the end. I took it into show Steve and he said "THIS IS INTERESTING." And so I made another one in the exact same way.
And from then on I realised that making mistakes and trying things out was the best method to create anything provocative and different. It informed the rest of my year and my process now!
For more of her work, check out Lexie's portfolio.
