Be open to all possibilities: Edit_Brand digital designer, Samantha Wilkinson

Creative Lives

Samantha Wilkinson was freelancing at Manchester-based Edit_Brand Studio before being offered a full-time role. The variety of work and the flexibility to work from home or the studio are major plusses for Samantha, a previous digital graphics graduate from Lancashire. Here, she tells us more about her role, and why it’s important to always keep your options open.

Samantha at work

Samantha Wilkinson

Job Title

Designer, Edit_ Brand Studio (2018–present)

Previous Employment

Designer, The Chase Creative Consultants (2014–2018)

Education

BA Digital Graphics, University of Central Lancashire (2011–2014)

Social Media

instagram.com/sam_n_th

How would you describe your role?
Being a designer at Edit_ is about more than just design, it’s about a whole host of exciting things. From sparking up ideas and implementing them across multiple platforms, to keeping an eye out for the latest design updates and attending inspiring talks. You never get bored at Edit_ as there’s always something new to do every day.

We all have something individual to offer to the team. Having studied digital design, I enjoy designing websites, chatting to developers and offering digital advice as and where I can.

How did you land your current job?
I was freelancing for Edit_ for around six months, and before I knew it they asked if I would like to work for them. The rest is history!

Edit_brand work for the Barbica

Work for Manchester Baroque

If you completed a degree, has this been helpful to your work?
Being at UCLAN (University of Central Lancashire) definitely helped me get my foot in the door. The main reason I went to UCLAN was because of their sandwich course where you could take a year out to work in the industry.

What do you enjoy most about working at Edit_?
The flexibility. Whether it’s working from home now and then, or working on different kinds of projects, Edit_ allows you to be more flexible in the way you work.

And the ever-changing nature of the role and projects. No two days are the same in the studio; one day you could be working on a small leaflet and the next a full brand identity and advertising campaign.

“Design has changed so much in the past five or so years...there are so many new roles on offer.”

What skills are essential to your role?
A keen eye and design knowledge.

What tools do you use most for your work?
The usual design stuff. Notebook and pen, MacBook Pro and knowledge of Creative Cloud.

What advice would you give to a young creative wanting to do the same kind of work?
Definitely look at your options. Design has changed so much in just the past five or so years I’ve been in the industry and has so many new roles on offer, especially when it comes to digital design. Be open to all possibilities.

...

This interview is part of a series of articles profiling brand design studio Edit_. See the In the Studio With interview here.

Work for the National Portrait Gallery