The leaders of tomorrow...

Past Creative Starts participants are today taking great leaps and bounds - and they were always going to make it. Creative Starts helped refine their skills and experiences, and increased their employability.

Jessica Foy

Graduated: Billy Blue College of Design
Time @ Rockstar
: 2 years
Projects complete
: 10+
Additional Experiences
: Grew to become Rockstar's Creative Manager, responsible for training and leading other designers.

Commercial Studio
Now: Graphic Designer at Equation Corporate Design

Her thoughts on Creative Starts:
"Don't sell yourself short and become a piece of furniture as unpaid intern... No matter how unexperienced you are, you can do better. Rockstar is the place to do just that.

I don't think that there is a better opportunity for a design student out there than the Rockstar Student Program.

When I started at Rockstar I was your average frightened design student, but Rockstar gave me a go and I developed confidence, skills and my marks improved my marks at Uni and now have a true career path.

But all experience aside, Rockstar is a cut above. The atmosphere and the people are fun, talented and respectful. They are your friends not just your collegues.

So if you want to be an ace at design, get an embarrassing photo of yourself on the website and meet awesome people - work at Rockstar."

Aaron Kuswara

Graduated: University of Western Sydney
Time @ Rockstar
: 4 years+ (still here)
Projects Complete
: 10+
Additional experiences
: Responsible for executing Rockstar's own advertising strategy and visual identity.

Freelance
Now: Started his own studios: The Company We Keep & Flood Studio. Launched his own magazine: Happenstance. Still designing at Rockstar part time.

His thoughts on Creative Starts:
"Rockstar provided me with flexible and hands-on publication design experience. Through my time in Rockstar I was able to develop skills I had acquired through my studies, as well as learn entirely new ones.

While working with Rockstar I have also gotten to experience some of the perks, like the great studio facilities (PS3 and Wii), the chance to go interstate for work and for AGIdeas, milk the almost endless supply of Coca-Cola, and network with a lot of like-minded designers + Swedes. Where else can you battle your boss on Guitar Hero during breaks?"

Sean Batchelor

Graduated: TAFE Enmore
Time @ Rockstar
: 1 year
Projects Complete
: 3
Additional experiences
: Featured on Australian InFront + Creative Magazine for his own work. Became hopelessly drunk at Rockstar's Christmas Party.

Commercial Studio
Now: Graphic Designer at Talk Media

Hist thoughts on Creative Starts:
"Rockstar is an awesome place to transfer your studies to a working environment. Your colleagues are all likeminded design-heads and the opportunity to have complete creative control over a book is a pretty attractive way to start a design career."

Pyro

Graduated: TAFE Enmore
Time @ Rockstar
: 1 year
Projects Complete
: 5
Additional experiences
: Responsible for producing Rockstar's Schools Went Crazy promotional video.

Commercial Studio
Now
: Graphic Designer at Toast Design

His thoughts on Creative Starts:
"My time at Rockstar was a great supplement to my formal education. It provided the leg up I sought in my final year of study and my career's off to a flyer thanks to the studio experience, knowledge and social-evening-induced-liver-damaged I gained there."

Fiona Yap

Graduated: University of Western Sydney
Time @ Rockstar
: 1 year
Projects complete
: 5

Commercial Studio
Now: Graphic Designer at Charles Lloyd + If Your Mind Was a Room

Her thoughts on Creative Starts:
"You get creative freedom on your own project. No one to tell you where to put things and how things should look. The network of like-minded creatives you will build at Rockstar is invaluable. But most of all, it's soul-forgiving work. It feels good to contribute to work that is not going to make the rich man richer."

Sigi Sigbjornsson

Graduated: Billy Blue College of Design
Time @ Rockstar: 1.5 years
Projects Complete
: 10+
Additional experiences
: Trained and led other designers. Worked on Rockstar corporate projects for GHD and Al Gore.

See what happens
Now: Graphic Designer at an Agency in his native Iceland

His thoughts on Creative Starts:
"Yeah! It was great!"

Welcome to the real world!

Here are some perspectives from Creative Starts Alumni, who are now working in the broader creative industry...

  • You are not going to change the world as a first year designer.
  • Working for trendy corporations is ego-boosting (if you're into that), but in your early years, you'll probably be limited to deep-etching hair.
  • Your clients can be your worst enemy
  • Always respect clients
  • Corporate work can be incredibly dry. Style guides can be the devil.
  • Bad luck if your Studio / Art Director is a nob
  • Be careful of becoming a design slave.
  • Make the time to work on your personal projects!
  • Rockstar was an incredibly awesome way to start... [truth].

Learn more...