she/her | #womenindesign #DandAD #SomeOne
Hey Eleanor, first of all how are you?
Hey! Hungry and partially sleep deprived, but what’s new?!
For those that do not know, tell us about yourself!
I’m a Junior Designer at SomeOne in London and an alumni of University of Central Lancashire. I graduated in the summer of 2020, so I’m officially a COVID grad! During my time in University I took a placement year, completing a variety of internships both up north and down south. So you could say I know the ins and outs of being an intern! I’m a northern girl at heart who is trying to make London her home.
What got you into design?
My Grandad was a painter so I was introduced to creativity from a very young age. I’d say there wasn’t necessarily a pivotal moment in my life, I almost fell into design. College was my first introduction to graphic design, but university was where I learnt the process of problem solving and crafting an idea. Through my love of design, I started to notice how design plays such a crucial part in our day to day lives - it’s everywhere you look.
You’ve interned at numerous companies. Any advice to anyone looking to start an internship?
University of Central Lancashire has an incredible network and placement programme which I was fortunate enough to take advantage of! But it entailed a vast amount of emailing and interviewing to line up placements for the year.
Treat your portfolio like a book, tell a story from idea to execution. But the best piece of advice for interviews is from my Dad, “Just be yourself, you’re good at it”. You know your projects better than anyone else, you’ve got this!
Be a sponge. You will learn more on your placements than your time at university.
Be a yes wo/man. Try new things, even if it scares you.
Be curious. Ask questions, no matter how insignificant you think it may be.
Finally it’s important to find out what you don’t want to do. Finding the right studio is key before landing your first role. So I’d recommend doing a number of placements to see what type of work is right for you.
2020 was quite the year for you with numerous awards won, sum up these emotions for us.
A roller coaster of emotions to say the least! At the start of 2020 we were all sent home from university due to the pandemic. Which meant completing our degrees off campus - making studios in our own homes. Endless amounts of Zoom crits, virtual conferences and even award ceremonies. Opening an email at home was very anticlimactic, it took me a few working days to process the achievement! Students were hit hard throughout the pandemic, whether that was adapting to remote learning or accepting that graduation had been cancelled. Although, winning awards was an unbelievable feeling, let’s just say 2020 was… different.
You were awarded a D&AD New Blood Wood Pencil, are you proud of this achievement?
Incredibly proud. Hard work truly pays off, a reminder to myself that I can do it. But it wasn’t a critical part of my career. Yes, it gave me exposure but portfolio is key.
You now work at SomeOne, enjoying it? What is the best bit of advice you have received in your career to date?
Working at SomeOne is awesome. Everyday is different. Renowned set of clients, with the opportunity to create something incredible. SomeOne is a very sociable bunch and it’s great to be back in the studio. The buzz of the studio fuels the work created.
Creative blocks can easily happen, especially when there’s a tight deadline. One great piece of advice is simply creating a grid in your sketchbook and filling every single box with an idea. No matter how bad, get it out of your head and onto paper. From there develop the ones that stand out but keep the rest for the initial catch up. The more ideas you can bring to the table the better, a small bit of insight can evolve into a completely different idea.
I want to start featuring more people on this platform so with this in mind, who are your standout creatives?
I work with a super creative bunch that inspires me everyday! Jessica Walsh is killing the game, being part of 0.1% of creative agencies founded by women. Her initiative, Ladies Wine & Design focuses on the lack of representation in leadership & the pay gap for women and non-binary people. I’d highly recommend going to a talk near you. But a creative closer to home is my flatmate Bella Loughlin! We both studied at University of Central Lancashire and now living in London together, navigating our way through the industry.
For my final question, what's next?
Growth. Always learning and progression will follow.
