Meet Dennis: Dennis studied Visual Communication Design at Deakin, and is currently a graphic designer and 3D visualiser. He shares his amazing professional journey with us, and provides tips for others wanting to pursue a Design career.
The highlight of my career – being the global lead designer in a team of around 40 people, overseeing two separate apps at PricewaterhouseCoopers, while only being out of university for not even one year!
What was the most beneficial aspect of your course at Deakin?
Dennis: Gaining the confidence to talk about my work and believing in my abilities. There are many other reasons why I think Deakin was a great place to study at, but I’d say this stands out the most!
Did you undertake any professional experience or internships as part of your degree?
Dennis: During my time at Deakin, myself and a few others had the opportunity to create the branding for Kardinia Park Stadium Trust. Part of this process involved pitching our ideas to Richard Henderson of R-Co, which was an amazing real world experience. Getting critique from a well-known brand agency was something I’ll never forget! After we finessed our designs, we had to pitch to the board of the Trust, which included Steve Bracks. This experience helped solidify my skills as a designer and gave me great perspective in to what it’s like in the real world.
Did you complete any study tours or study abroad?
Dennis: I participated in the Japan study tour. This experience showed me design from another point of view, seeing how designers from a different country can take influence with their surroundings and how they were brought up. The skill and talent of the Japanese students is incredible, which drove me to try and do even better.
What has your professional journey been since completing your course?
Dennis: About half way through my final year at Deakin, I landed a job at a software development company designing user interfaces. I was in charge of the work I put out for clients and dealt with them directly. This isn’t common at all in the design world, so I’m very appreciative that I had the skills and confidence to do so. This led me to work with clients such as PricewaterhouseCoopers, Treasury Wine Estates, PetRescue and many more.
After my experience as a user interface designer, I spent some time working as a freelancer, with a heavy interest in 3D work. I landed a job at a playground design company, designing playgrounds and designing various collateral as needed.
This eventually led me to my current job as a graphic designer and 3D visualiser at a multidisciplinary studio. The work I do now involves modelling products, placing them in realistic 3D environments, augmented reality and graphic design work. It’s a great mix of all the things I love doing!
Describe your current professional role and career goals.
Dennis: The work I do now is a mix of graphic design and 3D work. The graphic design work I do is quite varied, from branding, designing brochures, photography and package design. This comes in handy when the client asks for 3D work, as I generally know where it’ll go and how it needs to be designed to suit the rest of their product range.
Over the next five years, I plan on further pursuing my 3D modelling skills, in the hopes to eventually start freelancing in that space, or even get to the point where I’m running my own multidisciplinary studio.
What has been the highlight of your career so far?
Dennis: Being the global lead designer in a team of around 40 people, overseeing two separate apps at PricewaterhouseCoopers, while only being out of university for not even one year!
What has been the biggest influence on your career?
Dennis: The design skills, drive and work ethic of designers such as Aaron Draplin and Mike Winkelmann. They’re both prolific creators, which inspired me to take on a ‘one artwork a day’ challenge for a year as a result! It definitely wasn’t easy, but I created 365 posters which is something I’m really proud of.
What advice would you give graduates wanting to pursue a similar profession?
Dennis: Never stop learning! Have a design video on in the background while you’re doing other things, watch design critique videos from professionals, see what makes a good design work. Have a look at discussion boards online and look at new trends. These little things build up over time and will help you get a better eye for design.
And of course, personal projects! Find something you want to do/create and give it a go. You’ll be surprised at how much you’ll learn doing this.
Deakin’s teaching staff had plenty of design knowledge and knew what the industry was after.
Image: Dennis and one of his works ‘ Unity’ – created as part of a daily art challenge, for Our Planet Week. You can see more of his work on his Instagram account @dennisioannou
Dennis Ioannou studied Deakin University’s Bachelor of Arts, majoring in Visual Communication Design
Visit also the current Bachelor of Design.