A big congrats to Manuely Avila, one of our 30 TDK Awards’ winners for 2018. A RMIT University graduate from Melbourne, their work was chosen by Matt & Tim from Sons and Co: “It seems overly precocious that a person, like Manuely, has developed such a refined, sophisticated and considered sense of design so early in her career. But she has. So we nod our heads, smile, and clap with admiration”. We asked Manuely to answer a few questions for next years TDK Awards’ hopefuls.
What are some of your earliest creative memories and what lead you into design?
I remember that as a little girl I made my first kids story book based around the story of a family that liked to travel. I wanted it to look like an actual book so I used some thick yellow paper-stock that I found at my house as the cover, then I wrote the entire book on my dad's old typewriter. I also made some black and white illustrations in Paint that then I added them to the pages.
What made me considered having a career in the creative field was the fact that when I was in high school I used to design many things like pixel art and gifs on my free time just for fun, so I thought why not making a career out of it since I was enjoying it a lot and that's where all started.
What has been some of the biggest lessons you’ve learnt along the way?
-It is ok not to know everything. You can always ask, learn along the way and share it with others.
Sounds cliche, but the best outcomes come after stepping out of your comfort zone and doing those projects you think you won't like.
There is beauty in all the creative fields. So I truly believe creative collaborations are very important to achieve the most interesting and memorable outcomes.
Networking is super important in this industry. I have met so many amazing and talented people along my journey as a young designer and every one of those connections are valuable to me. I feel I have grown so much as a person just from getting to know other human beings.
To always trust my gut feeling regarding projects, clients or just life in general.
Where do you think design is heading in the next five years and how will you adapt?
The design industry is always evolving and I feel that creative collaborations are becoming more common and valuable in the industry, so definitely that would be one of the directions the industry will be heading to. Also, Digital Design and UX/UI Design are going to be even more relevant in the industry.
I find change as equally challenging and exciting, so I think as professionals the healthiest thing is to keep learning, growing and be open to new changes.
What advice would you give students starting out?
I would say make the most of every project, have fun and enjoy each one of them. If you have fun most probably you will have a better result. You never know how much you are going to learn from each experience no matter what it is.
Also, keep nurturing your creativity outside University, either by joining a painting class, going to the Museum, reading a book or doing music, whatever keeps you inspired.
Where to find Manuely Avila online.
Instagram: @manuelyavila
Website: manuelyavila.com
