Josh Garrido-Williams

London-based designer Josh Garrido-Williams first discovered design while studying at college, before deciding to take a self-taught route into the industry. Without a university degree, he taught himself the craft through YouTube tutorials, freelanced for friends and eventually earned a place on D&AD Shift 2024 – a night school for self-taught creatives. There, he tackled live briefs for brands like Diageo and Channel 5 and helped pitch a winning Captain Morgan concept. Now working as a junior designer at Easytek Ltd, Josh is proving that curiosity and persistence can take you far.

What I do

How would you describe what you do?
I’d describe myself as an all-round creative, but design has always been my main passion. My current role has also let me explore my love for photography a lot more, which has been great to bring into my work.

What are the main influences and inspirations behind your work?
I get a lot of inspiration from just travelling around London – the city’s full of it. BrandNew by Under Consideration is also a big one for me; I check it every day. It’s such a good way to see what’s being created in the industry and keep up with the latest work.

Would you say you need any specific training for what you do?
As someone who took a non-traditional route into design, most of what I know has come from self-learning. I’ve picked up a lot through YouTube tutorials, programmes like D&AD Shift, mentoring events such as The Arena, and just staying curious about the industry. I really think that’s the most important thing – keep learning and stay curious, no matter what stage you’re at.

What’s been your favourite project to work on from the past year, and why?
I’ve worked on some really exciting projects during my internships – can’t share names yet! – but one of my favourites has to be the Captain Morgan brief set by Diageo as part of Shift. We got to present our ideas to an audience of over 100 people, which was such a great experience and something I’ll never forget.

My favourite personal project would be Chispa Tequila, a brand creation project I started for a disruptive tequila brand. I had so much fun experimenting with typography and packaging design for that one.

What does a normal day-to-day usually look like for you?
I usually start by checking my messages and Monday.com board, then get stuck into a few different projects. At the moment I’m working on a lot of design for Vape Superstore’s website, and brainstorming ways to push the brand further. I also try to make time for learning every day – right now I’m doing a few UX design courses on Uxcel.

How I got here

What was your journey like when you were first starting out?
My journey into design was definitely unorthodox. I started out doing freelance projects for family and friends, and when I realised this was what I wanted to do, I spent as much time as I could practising and watching YouTube tutorials. That’s really where I refined my craft and started finding my style.

How did you go about landing your first few jobs or internships?
My first design job was at a marketing agency as an in-house designer. I actually found it through a scheme that helped people without degrees get a head start in their careers. Unfortunately, I was made redundant – which was tough at the time – but soon after I came across D&AD Shift. It turned out to be a huge opportunity.

Through the programme I learnt directly from the industry, made amazing connections and eventually landed internships at Lewis Moberly, Design Bridge & Partners and Bulletproof. Those experiences taught me so much about design and helped me land my current role.

What has been your biggest challenge along the way?
My biggest challenge has definitely been confidence. It’s really easy to be critical of your own work – which can be a good thing because it pushes you to improve – but it’s also important to step back sometimes and realise that you’re actually doing well. Once you start believing in yourself, others will too.

How important are social media and self-promotion to your work?
LinkedIn has helped me massively. It’s such a good platform for promoting yourself and making connections. Staying active and visible on there really does make a difference. I’d say post as much as you can – whether it’s a project, a course you’ve completed or even just asking for advice – it all helps.

What are three things you’ve found useful to your work or career, and why?

Have there been any programmes or initiatives you’d recommend?
Definitely D&AD Shift. If you’re a creative looking to break into the industry, I couldn’t recommend it more. It doesn’t matter if you’re not 100% sure what you want to do yet – if you’re willing to put in the work, you’ll love it.

What have you learned about making money and supporting yourself as a creative?
I haven’t been in the industry that long, but one thing I’m trying to keep in mind is to always make time for passion projects or freelance work on the side. It’s important that it’s not just about money – most of us are in this because we love what we do, and doing personal work reminds me of that.

My advice

What’s the best career-related advice you’ve ever received?
The best advice I’ve had is to believe in yourself, even when things get tough or you feel like you’re not doing enough. If you keep going, you’ll only get better.

What advice would you give to someone looking to get into a similar role?
Do what feels right for you, but don’t give up. If university feels right, do that – if it doesn’t, that’s fine too. The key is to keep learning, meet people and put yourself out there.