Graphic Design Success Stories

Graphic Design Courses in Brighton and Hove

BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Graphics

Vicky Theunissen

When I signed up for the BTEC in Graphics I had recently graduated from uni with a BA in English Literature and somehow fallen into a junior designer role for the shoe brand Irregular Choice. Since I had no formal design training I was feeling a little overawed and lost. In particular I was finding it hard to make the graphic design based projects that I was working on look professional as no one in my company had experience of Illustrator or InDesign and I was having to teach myself.

I found the course offered me invaluable support both from our course tutor and from being able to talk to people in a similar position to me. The projects gave me a way to learn and practice new skills as well as develop my own style outside of the work environment.

I am still designing for Irregular Choice, and since completing the course my job role has expanded so I create the graphics and illustrations for our packaging, website, stores etc as well as working on shoe and accessories design. As it’s a small company and we design everything in house the job is extremely varied and I’ve found the knowledge and skills I gained from my BTEC have helped me in all areas.

Kristina Leary

I chose the Graphics course at City College as I felt it was a subject that had always interested me, being a combination of many artistic aspects and one of the most influential in the design industry. I had always studied art based subjects throughout my education and felt that this was a way I could put them all into practice.

During my time on the course I learnt the basics of Graphic Design including typography, packaging, website and logo design and advertising to name a few and built up a substantial amount of work for my portfolio as well as gathering some work experience by designing various flyers and newsletters for local Brighton companies. It also focused on developing your own identity as a Graphic Designer, something I found very beneficial. I feel the course gave me a well-rounded knowledge and understanding in Graphics and with the help and encouragement of Phil the Course Leader, gave me the confidence to develop my personal style and further my education in Graphic Design at University.

Since passing the course I am studying for a University Degree in Communication Design at Northbrook College. The course gave me a push in the right direction and inspired me to pursue my passion for Design – I would highly recommend it!

Personal Websites: krissyrochelle.tumblr.com and kristinarochelle.carbonmade.com

Charlie Langridge

After messing about with a few pieces of design software I got an urge to gain some knowledge in graphic design - allowing me to develop pieces in a more structured way, rather than the trial and error method I was using. I'd read a few articles and was interested in the theory behind good design.

The course was really useful in teaching me the full design process, from stepping away from the mouse and keyboard to create initial concepts, sketches and mood boards, through to developing pieces using newly gained technical knowledge to freelancing and running a business. I definitely learned new and interesting things in each session and was eager to do the coursework out side of the lessons.

On finishing the course, I was really confident to go after freelance work, which kept me nice and busy. Not long after I decided to start Ganda Media (www.gandamediasolutions.com), a print and design business - through which I have been lucky enough to work with some big clients including nightclubs, festivals and national drinks brands! I know the skills I learned on the course have been integral to Ganda's success.

Websites: www.furtherreach.com and www.gandamediasolutions.com

Katherine Scott

I joined the city college graphic design course after completing a business degree and after working in a boring job I realised I wanted to do something more creative.

Having no arts background at all I was very nervous about the course, but needn't have been, I loved the course and it gave me the experience and confidence I needed to pursue a design career.

After finishing the course I was offered work experience at a small agency Insight Design (www.insightdc.co.uk) for one day a week, which led to a full time employed position! I now work at Priddy Books designing and illustrating children's books and it's an amazing job. It has taken a lot of hard work and perseverance but it has definitely been worth it.

Daren Rodway

After many years of working in media and having to learn on the job, I felt the time had come for me to update my skills in digital design and enrolled on 2 courses at CCB – Graphic Design & Filmmaking.

It was my intention to work freelance by catering for the mobile content market in design, film, publishing and advertising. The courses definitely help me gain these new skills and be more open in my creativity, being around like minded colleague certainly gave me a boost.

Since leaving in June 2010, I have formed DarenDino Productions with Dino Robinson whom I met at CCB East whilst on the Filmmaking course. We are finishing working on 3 productions for mobile content and have just worked on the new Superman film ‘Superman Requiem’

We are now writing our next series of webisode for 2012 and will be concentrating on mobile downloads and content for iPad.

The course was the first step in developing my career and gave me the chance to put together a portfolio - without which I would never have got my work placement!

Personal Website: darendinoproductions.com

Helen Boosey

After being made redundant for the second time I decided to take control of my career and retrain to be a graphic designer. I have always been creative, but had never received any formal training focussing instead on management training.

First I completed the BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Graphics course and then I went on to complete the BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Interactive Media course.

Both of these courses have completely changed my life, not just by teaching me new skills but enabling me to work in an industry that I love. These courses have also given me the confidence to become a freelance designer, and I have been working for myself since completing the Graphic Design course.

I now work on a wide variety of projects for small to medium sized businesses including branding, websites and magazines.

Both the courses were well structured and well taught and I found that the more you put in, the more you get out! I have also made a great network of like-minded people from both courses, who act as both support and inspiration.

Personal Website: www.helenboosey.co.uk

Steve Campion

I was working in an office job and doing quite well but I knew it wasn't what I wanted to do. So I made the decision to go back into education and study graphic design as this was a subject I was passionate about.

Prior to the course I had worked on my own graphic and illustration projects producing flyers for friends club nights and worked on drawings for a children's book which helped me to learn various software programmes, although I lacked the theory, experience and confidence to apply that to a professional environment.

The course helped me develop the skills I was missing through separate modules based on key areas of graphic design, all of which highlighted the importance of research and looking at the history of design communication. The group discussion at the end of each project really helped me to look at my own (and others) work constructively.

The last module on the course gave direction into the business side of being a professional designer- how to go about finding work, presenting your portfolio and self promotion.

Since finishing the course I have worked both as part of in-house creative teams and as a freelance designer for well-known established brands and smaller clients as well as selling my own art prints.

For a subject that's constantly evolving and changing with new media and technical advances, I felt the core focus of the course, is how to produce 'good graphic design' and gives you solid grounding whichever area of design you intend to pursue.

Personal Website: www.stevecampion.co.uk

Steve Dunhill

I enrolled on the BTEC Level 3 Certificate in Graphics course after working for an organisation in a (self-taught) web/print design capacity for several years, I felt that, in order to push my career further, I needed to fill the gaps in my design knowledge and gain the experience of learning in a creative environment.

The course afforded me the opportunity to explore many aspects of the creative process that the constraints of my job didn't. I have been able to employ ideas generated from the course in my current employment and continue to refer to various techniques that I learnt on the course.

After completing the course I went off travelling and upon returning to Brighton took up a full-time Graphic Designer position with City College where I have worked for the past three years. Outside of my employment I have built up a freelance design business, working with clients throughout the UK mainly undertaking web design work but also corporate identity and print work.

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