Talk It Out

How do I establish myself as a professional?

• Stop referring to yourself as a student online (LinkedIn, Social Media etc.)
• Don't say you're a recent graduate.
• Sell yourself - play on your strengths and not your weaknesses.
• Fill your portfolio with projects that mean something to you. Not competition briefs. Your portfolio is supposed to tell a story. It should show that you are a problem finder, not a solver.
• Do projects that have real world application potential and test them.

Ikigai

 

Apply the ikigai concept to your briefs and projects.

How do I secure  placement, internship or junior position?

• Make a real effort to stand out.
• Show interest in work, explain why it interests, influences and parallels with what you're working on/who you are as a designer.

Side note: Never ask if you can work unpaid.

How can I put myself out there?

• Networking is being open to meeting new people whose ideas you admire and goals you may share.
• Do it on your own terms.
• Make a list of people whose work you admire, who you think could open doors for you and who you would like to meet. Contact them.

Visiting Professional - Frankie Ratford: The Design Kids

 

Frankie Ratford is a Graphic Designer and Founder of The Design Kids, a global design organisation that aims to help student bridge the gap between studying and working.

Interested in the intersection between design, travel and business, Frankie is not your typical graphic designer. Originally from Bournemouth, she dislike clients, sitting still, having a desk and staring at a screen, and so at the age of 18 she travelled to Australia and ended up staying, permanently. Since then, Frankie has gone on to adventure in over 50 countries, living life on the road in a number of 'pimped up' vans, hitch-hiking and designing as she goes. She does all of this on a tight budget, in part because she confesses she doesn't really know what she's doing, but mostly due to her belief that resourcefulness and enthusiasm will get you a long way.

Frankie's organisation The Design Kids (TDK) collates a range of free resources to help undergraduates learn new skills and secure their dream job, as well as offers paid workshops and retreats. Frankie started the organisation herself when she was still a student, recognising the difficulty faced by students in establishing contact with the industry and finding work. The TDK team is now 31 people strong, all managed by Frankie herself. At present, she is travelling around the globe, visiting schools and universities, talking to students about her life, work and the organisation - which currently has bases in over 50 cities across the world. 

The TDK website is a resource for design students to browse events, workshops and exhibitions in different cities globally. It also lists internships/placements, and provides information on how students can get their work 'out there' and how to develop their portfolio. Through the TDK instagram page, Frankie invites students to submit their work which is then shared on the account, giving students exposure in the industry and helping increase their social-media following.

It is Frankie's goal for The Design Kids to be the biggest graphic design resource in the world.

Best Advice

Find the one thing that you love and do it better than anyone else.

Fun Facts

• Can spot a double space from 2 meters away.
• Can guess a typeface in 3 seconds. 
• Favourite Colour: Yellow