I was five years old and on my first day of school we had to write a story and draw a picture to go with it. It was pretty tragic because I could barely write the alphabet let alone string a sentence together. I would have been completely lost if not for the drawing portion,which I took to naturally, and for better or worse this turned out to be a foreshadowing of my life. I’ve always found it easier to communicate visually rather than through words. I did enjoy most of my subjects in school but I could barely imagine being in a career where I couldn’t be creative every day. I didn’t want to just make pretty pictures either, I wanted to solve problems. So I think choosing design was never really a choice!
I knew I wanted to work in a design studio and I also knew that most positions aren’t publicly advertised, so I made a list of all the studios in Melbourne that I would love to work at and emailed them, hoping that at least one would be hiring. Somehow my plan worked, and I freelanced at Design by Pidgeon briefly before landing a job at Clear Design. Like I said, working at a studio was kind of my dream and I’m slightly stunned that I actually achieved it. I’m so thankful that I can do what I love everyday.
I’m working on a website to archive the photos and memories from concerts and festivals I’ve been to. I’m a nerd. I used to scrapbook my tickets and memorabilia until I realised that I didn’t want to lug around an increasing number of scrapbooks for literally the rest of my life. Learning to code has been challenging but so rewarding and I highly encourage anyone interested in it to give it a go.
I’m also collaborating on an upcoming online magazine called Oscen that focuses on uplifting marginalised voices. It creates and curates thought-provoking content that opens conversation and discussion in a time of noise and antagonism. It’s being launched soon so look out for that!
Design is more than just designing things, it’s also about the people. Get involved in events and get to know your teachers—they have so much valuable experience to share that’s not covered in class. I’ve also found the design community to be quite generous and welcoming, so don’t be afraid to approach people or studios your admire; your efforts might just work.
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Instagram: @zoehudesign
Website: www.zoehu.co