Shillo Stories: Louis Devereaux

Meet Sydney resident Louis, who graduated the Shillington full-time course in December 2023.

Inspiring me

I’ve always been interested in exhibition displays and interpretive signage. I’m inspired by the work of a Melbourne studio, Nutshell. Whenever I see examples like this in public spaces, I stop to take photos and investigate how it’s all been manufactured and what materials might have been used.

I've done a bit of work with exhibition displays and found it both freeing and daunting at the start of a project like this. Freeing because you’re not confined to a set page or screen size, but daunting because it seems there are endless possibilities for the physical piece, and many considerations to make it work in the real world and for all to enjoy.

On reflection

It’s good to keep up to date with what’s happening within the broader design industry by doing simple things like reading design blogs, sharing work online, making connections with other designers, and staying up to date on events and opportunities.

I’ll admit that earlier in my career, I didn’t do any of these things! I lacked an understanding of the different fields within the industry, and I lacked some skills to be a well-rounded graphic designer. That brought me to enrolling at Shillington which has given me great training to develop my skills and better understand the different career pathways within the industry.

What's cooking?

I’d love to share my favourite project from my time at Shillington. ‘Good On Ya!’ is a new line of hand-crafted dog treats made from organic and ethically-sourced ingredients, produced locally in Melbourne. The challenge was to create a brand and packaging design reflecting the values of the brand’s founder, as well as appeal to dog lovers who consider their pets part of the family.

The solution is a fun and colourful design featuring intentionally loose illustrative and typographic elements that look handmade and communicate the honest, cheeky and homely nature of the brand and product.

Thanks for reading! Check out Louis' portfolio.

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