Kim Pham
13 April 2017: Bachelor of Graphic Design and Bachelor of Communication in Advertising graduate Laura Sibley is already putting her skills to use working at local design agency CRE8IVE.
The 22-year-old landed her first full-time job working as the junior graphic designer for digital, branding and design agency, CRE8IVE in November, just weeks after handing in her final assignment.
“I’d like to think it came down to my hard work, not just luck. I handed in my last assignment, the following week I had an interview and the week after I was signing a contract,” Ms Sibley, who graduated from the University on 12 April, said.
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University of Canberra graduate Laura Sibley has enjoyed using the skills she learnt during her double degree in her role as junior graphic designer at CRE8IVE. Photo: Kim Pham.
Ms Sibley developed an interest for graphic design in high school and wanted to complement her graphic design knowledge with further studies in advertising.
She said having a double degree has given her an advantage in her current role where she works on a variety of projects including web development, branding, collateral and more.
“I didn’t want to just have one set of skills. It made sense to study advertising because I really enjoy communications and it goes very well with graphic design,” she said.
“I wanted to have the ability to create things that look good but that also serve a purpose. It’s not just about the artistic element, it’s about the result. It has to be able to tell a story, inspire emotion or deliver a call to action.”
One of the highlights of Ms Sibley’s four-year degree was a 16-day exchange trip to Singapore where students toured factories and studios to study elements of packaging design and research the culture, symbols, colours and landscapes of Singapore.
“It was a very valuable experience, we got a good taste of the culture and it encouraged me to travel more and to think outside the box,” she said.
Ms Sibley didn’t think twice about applying to study at the University of Canberra. Her father completed a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing (Journalism) in 1991 and her brother is in his second year of a teaching degree at the University.
“My dad speaks fondly of his time at UC and I really enjoyed studying at the University. I had some really good teachers in the first few years and it made me want to continue learning.”
Ms Sibley won several awards while completing her degrees including eight consecutive Dean’s Excellence Awards, the Kodak Award for Excellence in Graphic Design and the Design Institute of Australia Encouragement Award in 2015.
“UC is great at preparing you for problem solving and thinking things through from start to finish. I really enjoyed studying and who knows, I might end up back on campus again in the near future.”
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