Industry Focus: Design

The College prides itself on our strong Visual Arts, Design and Digital Technology Domains, a broad learning area that has flourished over the years as new forms of media and design evolve. Subjects offered within these domains range from Media, Studio Arts, Visual Communication Design, Product Design & Technology (Textiles) to most recently Digital Technologies and Design Thinking. It is great to support the creativity of our students and watch them pursue new and exciting pathways.

We have reached out to a few of our Alumnae working in the Design industry to share their stories.

MARISSA BUTTIGIEG (CLASS OF 2017)

Junior Technical Product Designer at Moose Toys

Fondest memory of your time at Ave?

Our Year 12 chemistry class was such a tight-knit group, which made every single class light-hearted, enjoyable, and fun.

Favourite subject or favourite teacher?

Visual Communication with Ms Younes - I constantly managed to find ways to challenge myself and design unique things, and Ms Younes would always be there to support my crazy ideas!

What inspired/drew you towards your current career?

Throughout the course selection process, I was always unsure whether to pursue my passion for design, or interest in science. Once I discovered what Product Design Engineering was, I knew that it was the perfect course for me because it was the ideal combination of both. This career has allowed me to design a range of products that are manufacturable and mechanically function well.

How would you describe a typical day working in the design industry?

There’s no such thing as a typical day within the design industry - in a fastpaced environment, each day is so different from the previous. Some days I’ll be testing and refining prototypes, other days I’ll be creating technical documents or using computer-aided design (CAD) software to design 3D models. Each day is full of creativity and problem-solving, whilst overseeing the exciting design process.

Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers?

Just as I was always told during my time at Ave, pick the subjects, career or pathway, that you’re interested in. Think about your strengths and the type of tasks you can see yourself enjoying. Remember, that we all spend the majority of our lives working, so it’s important to pursue something that you’re genuinely passionate about.

Industry Focus: Design

CHRISTINA SPINAZZOLA (CLASS OF 2012)

Senior Art Director at Racket Agency

Fondest memory of your time at Ave?

There are so many great memories, but I’ll always love the lunchtimes spent with friends sitting out in the sun and the Study Tour to Italy in Year 12 that I was lucky enough to go on. My friends and I still talk about it to this day!

Favourite subject or favourite teacher?

Naturally, Vis Comm and Media were my favourite subjects and all the teachers in the art department were amazing. An honourable mention to the wonderful Ms. D’Astoli as well, especially for putting up with my friends and I spending every Italian class talking her ear off about One Direction in 2011 (if you’re reading this, just know nothing has really changed).

What inspired/drew you towards your current career?

I’d always had a love for anything creative and as a young girl dreamt of working as the designer for a magazine. I guess I always knew I was going to be doing something in a creative field whether it was designing, illustrating, sewing, filming or even writing.

How would you describe a typical day working in the design industry?

To be honest there really isn’t a typical day which is why I love it! Every role I’ve had from freelancing, working in-house, and now leading the design team in a marketing agency have all been so different - you could be working on logo concepts and strategy for a new brand, designing product packaging, building a website or even directing a photoshoot. I personally love the variety because it makes every day exciting and I’m always learning something new.

Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers?

Design is such a broad field that is always evolving so there really is a place for everyone no matter what your skills or interests are. There’s no singular pathway to working in design, and rather than let that overwhelm you, embrace every opportunity because you’ll learn so much along the way and you never know just where you’ll end up!

CHELSEA WOODFORD (CLASS OF 2013)

Designer at Rollie Nation

Fondest memory of your time at Ave?

My fondest memory of my time at Ave are the memories I made with my friends. 10 years on, I am so lucky to still call them my best friends. We still look back at all the memories we made together at Ave such as survival and outdoor education camps, the costumes we wore to athletics day and the swimming carnival and year 12 muck up day.

Favourite subject or favourite teacher?

My favourite subjects were Visual Communication design, Studio Art and Textiles. I couldn’t have made it into the design industry without Mrs Kerin, Ms Raff and Ms Younes’ assistance with my portfolio - which I still have and will keep forever! Aside from the art subjects, Outdoor Education with Ms Walsh was always a fun subject, she was a standout teacher.

What inspired/drew you towards your current career?

I was always creative growing up, so I knew I wanted to continue the journey into a career. The variety of art subjects and teachers encouraged me to push the boundaries. Straight after Ave Maria College, I went to University to study Communication Design and that helped me specialise in Digital Design.

How would you describe a typical day working in the design industry?

A typical day working as a Digital Designer involves creating designs and digital assets for Websites, Social Media and EDMs (Electronic Direct Mail). It also involves a combination of technology and creativity to create an efficient and memorable experience and user journey.

Any advice to current students as they think about their future and careers?

My advice to current students, is to follow your passion. Choose a career or pathway which aligns with your interests. Also remember that skills are transferable, so don’t ever feel like you are stuck. Perseverance is key, and if you ever feel stuck just reset and look at it from a different perspective.