Working with Alliance Agency during my placement year has been an interesting experience. It has given me an insight of how the design and marketing industries function, what kind of work to expect and how to handle clients.
There is a friendly and welcoming atmosphere in the office and I have never felt stressed or pressured while working. The work I have received has varied, some of it pushing me out of my comfort zone and helping me to learn new skills.
The most important thing I have learnt about working freelance is that good time management is essential. You are your own boss; there is nobody to remind you of deadlines and how much you should be working, so there has to be an element of self-discipline. I have found this quite similar to working at university.
The first project I worked on for Alliance was creating characters for The Office for National Statistics. It was really exciting to see my work being used on leaflets for such a well-known institute and it made me realise that even large companies need illustration work done. This has made me more confident to pursue a career in illustration and not worry about a lack of work or opportunities.
Other projects I have worked on were design based, including posters, leaflets and a website. These are things I would not normally work on during my time at university and gave me a chance to test and improve my graphic design skills. It was a shaky start but I managed to get into the swing of things with the help of my colleagues. I once dreaded working with graphic design for fear of my skills not being up to standard, but I have learnt to not be afraid to make mistakes and experiment with unconventional designs.
Working with Alliance has prepared me for my final year of university and made me more confident in finding work after graduation.
