Life as a designer post-graduation

Emily Bagnall, Mid-Weight Graphic Designer in Benoy’s Branded Environments team, was recently invited back to the University of Reading to deliver an alumni talk to students on the graphic communication degree course.

What’s working life as a designer like after graduation? This week Emily Bagnall from Benoy’s Branded Environments team was invited back to the University of Reading to talk to a group of undergraduate students from all years, about her journey from student to working designer. Emily was invited to present by the university as part of its module talk series on the Graphic Communication Undergraduate Degree programme, called ‘Baseline Shift’. This module is aimed at advising students on career paths post-graduation and features regular guest talks from alumni.

Emily studied Graphic Communication at the University of Reading before joining Benoy as a Graphic Design Intern. She has since been promoted to Mid-Weight Graphic Designer, working on wayfinding, placemaking and place brand projects.

During her talk, Emily reflected on her career journey since graduating. She discussed her progression from Intern to Mid-Weight Graphic Designer, reflecting on some of the project she’s worked on, including the design and installation process of the National Portrait Gallery and London College of Fashion. Providing an overview on what the Benoy branded environments team does, she talked through examples of wayfinding, placemaking and place branding, such as, the Wellcome Collection, Battersea Power Station, Art’otel and University of Oxford: Schwarzman Centre for the Humanities. Finally, she rounded the talk out by providing insight on studio culture at Benoy and the opportunities it has to offer in terms of travel and a breadth of project experiences.

Catching up after the event, Emily shared “it’s important to inspire the next generation of designers by helping widen their vision of what they could do with their graphic design talents. I’m passionate about information design and design for people and place. I really feel that the built environment industry is an exciting opportunity to start a career!”