Graphic Design student gets her foot in the door

For any aspiring graphic designer, seeing your work used by some of the world biggest brands is the ultimate achievement.

For Amy Kilner, 23, the dream become a reality when she designed the VIP Champagne Garden for V festival.

Amy Kilner originally opted to study A Levels at a sixth form College, but decided that a BTEC course was more suitable and pursued her passion in graphic design and enrolled at Rotherham College on the Graphic Design BTEC Level 3 course.

She found that concentrating on a specific subject area suited her learning style and that working with real-life clients enhanced her CV and knowledge of the industry.

“I wanted to learn the skills I needed to work as a graphic designer so I opted to study a BTEC course because I could focus on one subject and build up my portfolio“, she said.

“Producing work for my portfolio gave me a head start and my course provided me with the tools to learn graphic design software such as Adobe, which I now use on a daily basis in mycurrent job.”

Amy was grateful for the support she received from the tutors on her course who were really ‘helpful and patient’. The feedback she received on her assignments has helped her get to grips with the feedback she receives from clients out in the industry.

After completing her BTEC course, Amy went on to study a BA Honours in Graphic Communications Design at the University of Huddersfield and in 2012 she started freelancing as a designer. As a freelance graphic designer, Amy designed the VIP Champagne Garden for V festival; a huge achievement for any aspiring graphic designer.

She was then offered a full-time job with UYR in Wakefield, an industry-leading print and design company. She designed for the leisure industry and worked with clients such as Luminar Nightclubs and Stonegate pubs.

She has since moved closer to home and started working for Bluetree, print experts who also own Instantprint and Route1print. Amy works as a Creative on the marketing team designing both web and print material while still freelancing in her spare time.

Amy’s advice for any budding graphics designer is to go for it and she says: “I would recommend my course to anyone. Without completing the course, I wouldn’t have had the opportunities I’ve had that have got me to where I am today.

“My course at Rotherham College has helped me get my foot in the door of the graphic design industry and start my desired career.”