For students with a terrific eye looking to cement their talent with industry recognised qualifications, TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore (DCE) is a ‘design melting pot’, with all design subjects taught by industry experienced teachers in the latest facilities.  

Award-winning TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore graphic designer Sebastian O’Brien enjoyed design so much, he decided to turn a career out of it at just 23 years of age and has now been awarded with a D&AD New Blood Award for his 3D-printed prosthetic limb concept design for Adidas.

“I started at TAFE NSW Enmore Design Centre in the Advanced Diploma of Graphic Design after completing a series of other graphic design courses with TAFE NSW. At the end of my journey, I was equipped with a new skill set and a new level of determination.

During my time at DCE, I was fortunate enough to walk away with a coveted D&AD Wood Pencil award. The D&AD New Blood Awards recognises design and advertising excellence in students, grads and aspiring creatives. The winning entry was based on my Re-Active Duty Prosthetics, a concept for 3D-printed prosthetics limbs I co-developed in response to an Adidas brief.

“I have always been a visual person and have found myself through design. I enjoy designing identity and branding systems, publications, exhibitions, websites and posters for cultural and commercial clients from music, to art and fashion. My favourite form of designing is typography. I love creating by hand and through new mediums to create a custom, unique feel.

By studying at TAFE NSW, Seb was able to make industry connections and land an internship at Re, a design agency based in Sydney.

“As a result of my Wood Pencil win, I secured an Internship and learnt a lot about the industry in general. Such as learning how to present work to clients in a professional manner, being given real brand guidelines to stick to within a design task, working on live projects and receiving feedback. This was a practical way for me to learn what couldn’t be taught in the classroom. Not only did it build my portfolio, but it allowed me to make my own industry connections,” Mr O’Brien said.

According to LinkedIn[1], creativity is the most in-demand soft skill for 2019. This is the first year that creativity has appeared on the list of skills in demand, and reflects a change in employers’ priorities.

TAFE NSW Graphic Design teacher Louise Lammers said the graphic design courses offered at DCE gives student’s key conceptual and technical skills so they are job-ready.

“Doing a course teaches students’ the design process and adds theory and technical knowledge to their work. At DCE we teach concept-based design which gives students’ the skills to creatively respond to a client brief,” she says.

“In 2018, DCE was fortunate enough to have two students win a D&AD Wood Pencil. The Wood Pencil symbolises the best in advertising and design for the year from around the world. This is a testament to the training TAFE NSW provides and the hard work the students committed to the project.”

TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore is the perfect place to study for those that have a creative flair but can’t decide between graphic design, interior design, design and illustration, industrial design, jewellery design and manufacture or 3D art and animation. DCE also offers pathways to professional degree courses including the Bachelor of Design (Interior Design) and Bachelor of 3D Art and Animation. 

Established in 1994, TAFE NSW Design Centre Enmore is one of Australia’s leading design schools, awarded Large Training Provider of the Year at the prestigious 2018 NSW Training Awards.

With facilities that include purpose-built exhibition spaces, studios and professional workshops, DCE has produced some extraordinary Australian and international creative talent including Interior Designer, Greg Natale, Interior Stylist, Steve Cordony and 3D animator Tim Strain who has worked on films such as Peter Rabbit and Ghostbusters.  

To find out more about studying graphic design at TAFE NSW visit www.tafensw.edu.au or phone 131 601.

Media contact: Laura Kelly, TAFE NSW Business Partner, mobile: 0411 777 676 or laura.kelly40@tafensw.edu.au