24 Week Free Trial

By Shazia Ismael 

I thought this would be a good opportunity to shamelessly plug my design Instagram @petiteshazia!

How would I define my plans for the next year of my life? A year of uncertainty. A year to be optimistic. A trial run for my future. Planning for this year has drastically changed over the last couple of months, but I guess that is exactly what life is about. It went from having a solid proposal outlining what I thought would be my plans for this year to starting from scratch, with new guidelines presented by the state of the current world.

My work placement at Disney three years ago lay the foundations for what career I would pursue. I went from someone who was set on doing a degree in English Literature to one studying Graphic and Media Design. In the past two years, I have learnt that my strengths are Editorial Design, Designing for screen and concept development. These are skills I want to explore further this year. As we are advised to overcome rigid ideals and grow into different practices. My skillset has grown as I've become more confident using various programs. I want to explore ways of working (pun was definitely intended) in the design industry and hopefully figure out plans after university. 

COVID19 is proof that life is ever-changing. I’m sure that a lot of the other entries look at its effects. What we once may have seen as abnormal behaviour has become the ‘new normal’. From sitting in studios and lecture halls to sitting wherever the wifi is the strongest be it the living room, bedroom or even the kitchen. Even people like James Corden are moving from a large TV studio to a garage to make sure that the public gets the Late Late Show. It shows how fast we, as a human race, adapt to keep our world moving. I wish to use this year as a learning curb on adaptation as this is a skill needed when working with clients. It becomes a skill application when virtually talking to companies in the hopes that they take us under their wings, even if it is just for a little while.

Another major thing that I have learnt about myself through my projects this year is I want to use my practice to please people but also create work that represents my values, my style and my culture. To inspire people to embrace their backgrounds, use what they know to make a difference. This will be worked upon this year through Self Initiated Projects.

To put it simply I want to try everything I possibly can this year be it an internship, competition or self-initiated project!

​People have told me I live in a fairytale if that's the case this year is just another chapter. I will use this year as a free trial on Netflix except this will be a free trial before the real world. So here’s to my 24-week free trial!

My own visual response to my first blog post.