FLEDGLING CHICKS
We always hear about the designers who have ‘taken off’, but what about the designers who are just starting out? There are lots of young female designers out there just itching to flap their wings and show the world what they can do. Bec, Mads, Lucy, Tracy and Melinda told Nest what it’s like.

“The design world can seem pretty tough to crack after graduating,” says Mads. “For a while you feel like you’re standing on the edge of it all, deciding when and where you’re going to jump in”. Mads has just graduated from the Enmore Design Centre in Sydney. She had planned to take a year off, but started doing a few jobs for friends and soon found there were clients out there willing to pay for her freelance work. There are many aspects of design she wants to explore, though, and freelancing is not part of her long-term plan.

Bec from Brisbane agrees that there seems to be large potential for freelance work if you’re willing to do all the running around, but she is dreading looking for a ‘real’ job after she gets her Diploma of Graphic Design at South Bank TAFE. It was hard enough finding somewhere to do work experience. “A fair proportion of studios believe they are too big and too busy for us students”, says Bec. “For those of us without family connections to help, finding work experience involved a lot of door knocking and persistence. Luckily I have found a friendly and very helpful studio and am currently completing my hours there.”

The girls agree that work experience is essential. “Being on a placement year at a design studio lets me see more of what the industry out there is like,” says Tracy. “It’s fairly welcoming (I have a nice boss!) and you keep learning.” Tracy is studying Multimedia Design at the National Institute of Design, Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne. She finds it’s a bit male-oriented, especially in the web department, but that can be a plus: “It even gives the girls more chance to shine, I reckon”.

Industry work can come as a reality check for students. Uni is a stage where you do a lot of experimental work and get in touch with your own kind of style. But in industry you have to meet particular standards. That’s what Melinda says, and she knows what she’s talking about. She’s from Singapore and has been in the multimedia industry for six years. After gaining a diploma in multimedia interactive arts from LaSalle SIA College she ran her own multimedia company for two years. Just recently she completed a degree in multimedia at Melbourne’s Swinburne School of Design and is now looking for a full-time job.

Lucy, a recent graduate in B Design (Visual Communications) from the University of Western Sydney, is another one who’s found work more of a struggle and less glamorous than she thought it would be. She says it's strange having people direct what you’re doing rather than having the creative freedom of uni briefs, but adds that it's really cool seeing your stuff out there and doing real work!

Lucy is finding the industry cramped with recent graduates and juniors. People in the industry have been nice and friendly but she thinks many studios are forced to turn people away, even for unpaid work. With her interest in print-based design she was lucky enough to get work experience, then an internship and now a junior position with the Museum of Sydney in the exhibition and publication design unit. “I am really loving the museum design industry so far,” she tells us. “I was quite determined to find a job that was beneficial towards society rather than your usual sell! sell! sell! design that is saturating the media.”

Conferences are important for young designers. “I feel that it is good to know what’s out there and what’s in style,” says Melinda, who has been to the IDN conferences in Singapore and also the recent Semi-Permanent in Sydney. “You also have to face the real hard reality that there are tons of better designers out there that you are going to have to compete with. It’s also an excellent chance to meet other designers and interact with them, exchange ideas, get inspired and get it all moving.” The girls also agree that attending conferences helps them get involved in the design community at large, especially online communities like Nest, AustralianINfront and Design is Kinky.

Lucy went to at least one conference a year when she was a student and believes having industry contact while you’re studying helps you set your own goals: “It’s always good to have people to look up to.” She adds that having industry guest lecturers and tutors at uni was also very helpful: “I think it bridges the step from studying to working really well and makes it seem less daunting!”

Another thing these girls do to keep the ideas flowing is to run their own projects. Mads works on a team business called 88OUNCES. It’s a clothing canvas for people who like interesting concepts. Each garment range is a limited edition with an emphasis on creativity and originality. The website is mostly up, Mads tells us. Check it out at 88ounces.

Melinda has just started hypeinteractive, an online art and design e-zine cum community for students and designers. “My online e-mag started with supersedes,” she explains. “With that site my idea was to put together the things I like - mostly art and design, photography, poetry, fashion, dolls, print, web and interactivity. I wanted to show how great it is to compile stuff that you love and adore into something fun where others can enjoy and appreciate it too.

“That sparked off the idea of hypeinteractive where there’s an updated blog to tell others stuff about the latest design, art, fashion. And there’s a forum for students, designers, lecturers to share ideas, get inspired, chat, and just make the design community grow. I want people to contribute to my upcoming issues. I might have to revamp the site to give it more boost. Maybe a look like my old website Hippieflip might help.”

Melinda adds, “Nest is something that inspires me too. I do hope the community of female designers expand coz we need more she talents. I love what I’ve been seeing on nestcollective so far. Keep the love spreading.”

Thanks Melinda! Let’s hear more stories from you fledgling chicks out there on the Nest Forum (and keep those compliments coming too).