Below is an email interview MESH did with Florencia Mostaccio a 3rd yr design student who has just started working with a local design and marketing company Dilate, whilst finishing her degree.


What career opportunities did the course give you?

The course established a solid foundation of skills that I was able to rely on when looking for work.

In my first year, I worked as a video editor at a local production company, and then moved on to do work experience, and eventually freelance, in the field of design and development in my second year with another local Perth business. There, I was in charge of redesigning and developing their website and promotional material, and working on design and user experience for some of their clients.

Now about to graduate, I am working as a graphic and digital designer at a business marketing agency called Dilate, which I am really enjoying. I am also doing a graduate program in advertising with the Communications Council on Monday evenings, where I get to learn how the big advertising agencies in Perth craft brands for their clients, particularly when it comes to digital and design work.

What has been your favourite unit in the course and why?

It’s hard to pick a favourite, but I am really enjoying the final design unit that I am currently undertaking, where we get to work on a personal project and then build our portfolio website. It’s great seeing three years of hard work come together.

What was the most challenging aspect of the course?

Adapting to the changes in the industry. When I said that design, and particularly digital, are forever changing, I am not kidding. In my first year we were still coding with XHTML, in my second we had to change our whole mindset and adapt to the new HTML5 language as well as responsive design. Design trends and standards that were in vogue at the beginning of my uni career were not at fashionable at the end of it. It is such an interesting time to be doing this course, because the world of design and web is changing from year to year; you need to be adaptable and open to change.

Can you describe your new role?

At Dilate, I am in charge of design. At the moment I am doing a lot of digital work by creating website mockups and identity elements (like logos) for the web development team, but we are about to open the graphic design side of things too. I also help out the development team by building websites in WordPress. It is all very creative and I am always doing something new, which is really exciting. I really enjoy it!

 

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