5 years since Shillington: Hannibal Knowles

It's been 5 years since Hannibal Knowles studied at Shillington. Jack Trotman, Managing Director at Shillington, sits down with Hannibal to talk about his creative journey, career pivot and what makes the perfect design brief. Jack just so happened to teach Hannibal too.

Hannibal graduated from Shillington in December 2020 and is now a 2D Designer at Imagination.

Happy reading!

Jack Trotman:

Let’s go right back to the beginning. What did you want to be when you were little?

Hannibal Knowles:

The first thing I remember wanting to be was a cricket player! I was obsessed. Sadly, I didn’t play much after the age of 13, but my love for the sport never faded. It even inspired my ‘Campaign’ project at Shillington, Break the Boundary, which focused on growing the women’s game.

JT:

When did you KNOW you wanted to go into a creative field?

HK:

Honestly, probably only about six months before starting Shillington. I was always quite science-minded and thought I’d end up in environmental science. But after giving it a shot, I realised it wasn’t for me. There was little to no creative outlet, and that’s when I started exploring design.

JT:

How did you decide between the 3-month full-time and 9-month part-time course?

HK:

I chose the 3-month full-time course because I wanted full immersion. This was a big pivot for me, so it made sense to go all in. 100% focus, no distractions, just diving headfirst into learning.

JT:

Do you still have a favourite piece from your Shillington portfolio?

HK:

Definitely! I had a streetwear app brief that evolved into a full brand world. Even after graduating, I kept building on it, making videos, refining the graphic identity, really pushing the concept. It was such a fun playground for me and it deepened my understanding of brand language.

JT:

If you could dream up your perfect creative brief, what would it be?

HK:

It would come from a bold client with a collaborative mindset and a big, ambitious goal. There’d be a real problem to solve, something that demands a strong creative hook. It would involve identity design, whether from the ground up or for a specific event or experience. The project would span multiple touchpoints, from micro to macro, requiring a full team effort. True creative alchemy happens through collaboration. Who doesn’t love a big rollout?

And ideally, it would be something the public can engage with, so we can do our bit to make people's day a tiny bit better.

JT:

It's been great chatting again Hannibal, see you soon!

Check out Hannibal's Instagram, and where he's currently designing — Imagination.

If you want to find out more about Shillington's course, book a chat or sign up to an Info Session today!