I was just commissioned by Adobe to create some illustrations for some online events. That was a lot of fun, and also came with the shock factor of having Adobe reach out.
What was the most beneficial aspect of your course at Deakin?
Jacinta: I think Deakin really helped me prepare for moving to real work – I landed my first job through connections at Deakin, had industry experience, and got to see what it was like to work on real briefs for real clients.
Did you undertake any professional experience as part of your degree?
Jacinta: I was selected as part of a group of students to work on the Kardinia Park Stadium Trust branding, which meant I was mentored by Richard Henderson of R-Co and had to pitch our ideas to the board of directors. This was a huge opportunity, and being connected to R-Co really helped me see how graphic designers work in the world.
Did you complete any study tours?
Jacinta: I went on a study tour to Japan, which was honestly one of my biggest highlights studying. Seeing the craftsmanship and dedication to the arts while overseas really inspired me to incorporate more handcrafted elements into my own work, and helped me lift my game in terms of working even harder towards what I wanted.
Tell us about your experience of Deakin’s teaching/academic staff.
Jacinta: The teachers were great! They were always available to help and they were very invested in making sure we had as many opportunities as possible before we graduated. They were all still connected to industry, and I’m very happy to have remained in contact with a lot of them since graduating.
What has your professional journey been since completing your course?
Jacinta: I was offered a role as a visual designer working on web designs while still in uni, so I took that before moving into the media/advertising space as a branding designer/art director. From there I was lucky enough to find myself illustrating more and eventually made the leap into full time illustration/lettering.
Various illustrations by Jacinta Kay
Describe your current professional role and career goals.
Jacinta: I’m currently a full time illustrator/letterer, working across books, custom products, social media content creation, and web assets. I love what I do and can only hope that in five years I’ll still be doing it! I’d like to eventually release my own illustrated book and affirmation cards, that’s definitely in the works for the next few years, but honestly I just hope I’m improving my skillset and clients continue to want to work with me!
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Jacinta: I have two I can’t choose between – one was the first time an illustration agent reached out to me asking if I was interested in illustrating a book – it was the first big illustration project I ever landed and I remember sitting in shock staring at my emails for probably a good ten minutes trying to process it. The second was recently – I was just commissioned by Adobe to create some illustrations for some online events they are holding, and one of the banners they wanted created out of food! That was a lot of fun, and also came with the shock factor of having Adobe reach out.
What advice would you give graduates wanting to pursue a similar profession?
Jacinta: My advice is to have passion projects as early as possible – start making things just for fun and posting them online, put the best ones in your portfolio! A lot of creative work comes from your folio, so you really want to be refining your skills as early as possible, and develop your creative voice.
I landed my first job through connections at Deakin.
Jacinta Kay studied Visual Communication Design at Deakin.
Visit our 2023 suite of Design courses – Bachelor of Design | Bachelor of Arts which has major and minor studies available in Visual Communication Design..