Mina Popa

Mina started out as a writer who could also design; now they’re a designer who can also write. Transitioning from writing to design wasn’t always easy, but thanks to the help of mentoring schemes like The Arena, Mina was able to get solid advice. “Whether it’s through a mentorship programme or a coffee chat with people you admire, having someone who can guide you makes the biggest difference,” they say. How do you change careers with no knowledge of the industry? Mina tells all below.

What I do

My creative practice
I’m a Bristol-based designer, illustrator and writer. Guided by the mantra ‘Design for Good’, my work spans branding, editorial, digital and motion design for clients big and small, including Adobe, The Arena, Creative Opps and more.

Through my extensive background as a writer-editor, I bring a storytelling-first approach to projects with a focus on culture, community and sustainability. I’m really passionate about mentorship, spotlighting emerging designers and keeping the human touch in design, art and beyond.

Influences and inspiration
Physical ephemera, printed matter and the mundane details of our lives. I’m a bit of a collector of beautiful designs and trinkets; I have a dedicated drawer with no shortage of paper and knick-knacks. My thing is archive and memory: I’m particularly passionate about how design can reflect the state of society at different turning points through time.

My training
When I started out, my design practice was entirely self-taught. I was working towards becoming a writer, but found joy in designing the covers of my stories.

This past year, I took a leap, slowing down freelancing to pursue the MA Design Communication: Graphic Design course at UWE Bristol. As I step into the next stage of my career, I want to be a fully capable designer who can also wield the pen, not a writer who can design. I’ve definitely sharpened my skills and found my feet during my time here.

Favourite recent project
My degree project, VISTA, which tells the stories of emerging graphic designers through interconnected physical ephemera. Ephemera are items that weren’t originally designed to be retained or preserved, but have been collected nevertheless – the minor transient documents of everyday life.

In a world where junior roles are threatened and our lives’ records move to the digital world, I was interested in preserving and showcasing the growing anxieties my generation of designers feels in a tangible form, so that we can start a dialogue with the future. A future that is, hopefully, kinder to all of us.

A day in the life
For the past year, I’ve divided my time between my freelance practice, Mina Popa Design, my job and university. I work as a part-time Assistant Content Creator for The Students’ Union at UWE, balancing my hours with my seminars. All my other free days, afternoons and evenings are mostly dedicated to freelance projects, checking in with clients and admin.

On days when I’m not working, you’ll find me on nature walks, bird watching, picking up another hobby I definitely don’t have space for, or painstakingly upgrading my characters in my video games.

A starter pack for my job:
In the studio, it’s a mocha (sorry to all the Real Coffee™ lovers), comfy clothes and a well-curated deep house mix. Outside of it, it’s going to as many design events as possible and meeting new people.

How I got here

Starting my creative journey
My creative journey started in sixth form. I got my first branding project from a friend founding an events company; from there, I kept taking on freelance design projects while she moved on to work with Coldplay and Netflix. I like to think that collaboration kicked off something bigger for both of us.

The commissions I took on through those years came through word of mouth. I consider all those opportunities lucky happenstances for someone who didn’t think they’d ever make a career out of designing. I’m so grateful for everyone who put their trust in me early on.

Making the switch from writing to graphic design wasn’t smooth. Finding something long-term proved difficult, especially with no community around me and no formal knowledge about the industry. The latter was the first thing I focused on building through networking and mentorship, helping me understand how to navigate the world I was about to enter.

Landing my first few jobs, clients and/or commissions
My first few clients reached out to me while I was still living in Europe, but that quickly changed when I moved to England. The key to success here is having the confidence to be a self-starter. I like to keep my ear to the ground and introduce myself at every chance I get.

One conversation with Gili Ofir at last year’s D&AD New Blood Festival landed me my first commission for Adobe only three months into my career change. Getting in touch with speakers at my favourite series of events in Bristol, PechaKucha, run by Duncan Shotton, helped me get my first design internship at Testbed (thank you, Rob) and an editorial commission for photographer Kate Jacko.

Joining membership programmes can be a huge help, too. When I became a youth member at Creative Opps, I had the chance to refresh the charity’s social media designs, create the branding for our Co:Lab exhibition alongside Memika Bickle, and even launch the first issue of Co:Lab Zine, which sold out in just a couple of days.

Biggest challenges along the way
Letting go of control and preconceived ideas about what my career should look like. Getting rejected from things I thought I needed to do to be successful, even while I was making so many other amazing things happen, made me feel like I wasn’t doing enough. I’ve worked hard in the past year to build a strong network, self-confidence and resilience. I know now that there’s more than one way to get your foot in the door; I keep myself open to unconventional paths because I never know where they might take me.

My social media and self-promotion vibe is…
A work in progress. I enjoy doing content creation professionally and my page has brought me a lot of incredible opportunities, but I prefer promoting myself and my work through real-life conversations. Connecting this way feels a lot more authentic to me.

If you do want to build your social media profile, my advice is: don’t be precious, be strategic. Keep it fun, but keep it on brand. And remember that it’s social – use it to connect with people whose work you admire.

Three things I've found useful in my career:

Courses, programmes, initiatives, access schemes or job boards I've found helpful

My greatest learnings when it comes to making money and supporting myself as a creative:
Don’t be afraid to take on the work that you need to support your ambitions, even if it’s not exactly what you want. I used to worry that it would make me stray from my path, but it’s a challenging time for young creatives. Each odd job has been a learning experience and an opportunity to gain new skills I wouldn’t have otherwise.

My advice

My most useful career tips
Reach out. Say ‘yes’ to fun, weird, unexpected opportunities. Know your worth and charge accordingly. Lead with curiosity. Don’t be afraid to ask a million questions. Keep learning and growing. Enjoy the process. Accept that things take time and nothing is as straightforward as it’s made out to be. Make friends. And as Anthony Burrill said, “Work hard and be nice to people.”

What I'd say to someone looking to get into a similar role
If you’ve ever considered a career change, or you’re just starting out and don’t know where to begin, find a mentor. Whether it’s through a mentorship programme or a coffee chat with people you admire, having someone who can guide you makes the biggest difference.

When I started out, I definitely had the passion, drive and creativity necessary to embark on the journey to becoming a successful designer. Like a lot of young creatives, I knew what I wanted to do, but not how to do it. My mentors Ines, Olivia and Lilia have given me the direction and focus I needed to cut through. For that, I am forever grateful to them.