Having previously dabbled in filmmaking and music, you decided to pursue a degree in Design Studies. Has design been your passion for a long time?
Back in primary school, it didn’t take me long to realise that my strength was related to creative tasks. In my spare time, I enjoyed playing Lego and home design 3D games on my iPad, so much so that I once dreamed of becoming an architect. When I was in middle school, I discovered that I really liked giving presentations in front of the class and I would always take on the PowerPoint design in group assignments. I realised that I liked to create value and beautiful things.
The reason why I started learning Photoshop is quite funny. I wanted to earn more money to support my family, so I tried designing shirts to sell on an international website. But in the end I couldn't do it because I didn't have a bank account. In ninth grade, I got to design a uniform shirt for my class, and then my friends invited me to make logos and social media posts for their business projects. Since then, my passion for creating eye-catching things with Photoshop has only grown.
The ninth grade was also when I learned of the concept of graphic design and started exploring everything about this field day and night. I actively sought chances to hone my skills through clubs, events and projects at school. And then gradually more job opportunities started to come my way. As time went on, in the eyes of my friends I’ve become someone who can create beautiful things on the screen and I’m very proud of that.
I do love other creative things like making films and music, but design remains what I’m most confident about and I can talk about it for hours without getting bored. It's my biggest love right now, but I still want to keep an open mind and try my hand at new fields. Who knows? Maybe one day I might branch into another direction.
What’s your plan for the first semesters at university?
My longer-term goal is to intern or work in a professional environment like an agency. But my first priorities upon enrolling in RMIT are to focus on my study and get used to the density of assignments, as well as to manage my time for both extracurricular projects and classes. Outside of class, I want to meet and get to know great like-minded people who want to join local and international competitions. I believe competitions would both improve my personal profile and be a way for me to give back to the university.
Design is a very broad domain. I’ve spent over three years studying it, but I still don't know everything about what I am most confident in, which is 2D design. I want to do more with 3D, motion graphics, typography, photography, and so on. RMIT will be an environment where I have the freedom to do what I have always wanted to without fear of being constrained.
