Hannah Hunter

Career overview

The world of visual communication has always captivated me – how we use graphics to transform, influence, and establish the world around us. Following this fascination, I first studied BA (Hons) Graphic design at Northumbria, specialising in branding. While this programme gave me the core principles, I decided to further my education with MA Communication Design to explore how digital communication can enhance and work in synergy with branding.

What are you doing now?

Today, I am working in London as a graphic and digital designer for Interstate Creative Partners. I work closely with global brands across a wide range of platforms to create brand identities, broadcast graphics, apps, websites, and products.

What was it about Northumbria that made you decide to study here?

Northumbria has a great reputation for design, and Newcastle has a fantastic city culture. For me, it was the perfect combination for a place to study. I could push my career forward while enjoying student life!

What was it like studying at Northumbria?

I loved every second of my time at Northumbria. I have made friends for life and secured a career. It was a good mix of hands-on work and academic lectures. The university itself has a fantastic city campus with access to a range of resources including industry-standard equipment, academic writing and working spaces. The courses gave me great opportunities to display my work and to connect with designers in the industry. Taking these opportunities to connect with designers allowed me to secure a job at Interstate Creative Partners.

What impressed you most about our academic staff?

The academic staff all had genuine passions for the work they teach. They were very knowledgeable, always enthusiastic and pushed your creativity.

How connected was your course with industry?

The course is well-connected with the design industry. We had a range of guest speakers, live briefs, competition briefs, and portfolio reviews. It was a good mix of learning about and working with the industry. The guest speakers ranged from digital design to brand design, which gave us insight into a range of disciplines within the same spectrum. You gained a lot of insight into what it is like working within the design industry.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals/give your career an edge?

My undergraduate degree allowed us to visit global design agencies and take part in student competition briefs. This gave students a great way to connect with industry professionals and show them our work. Personally, I believe that my master’s course has helped me achieve my career goals. It allowed me to learn about different areas of design outside of branding design. This included User Interface (UI) design, User Experience Design (UX) Illustration and Editorial Design. These all contributed to my design work and unlocked career opportunities in other areas of design. At the end of the course, we were also given opportunities for practice interviews and portfolio reviews with industry professionals. One of these interviews was with Interstate and lead me to my first design job in the industry.

What was the best thing about your course?

The live projects really helped us put our skills into action! They allowed us to learn how to work with clients, work at a quicker pace, and present our ideas—all vital skills in the design industry.

Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now throughout your career?

The skill of crafting. Understanding what a brand is and how to craft it into visual communication. This helped to enhance my work by paying close attention to detail.

How would you describe yourself in three words after you graduated at Northumbria?

Optimistic, enthusiastic, determined.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

I really enjoyed learning and discovering. The opportunity to be given the space to learn new design knowledge and discovering new methods of applying my design thinking.

What advice would you give somebody who is thinking of studying at Northumbria?

Go for it! It’s a great place to study with easy access to academic resources and opportunities to connect with the industry. Not to mention it is also based in Newcastle which is genuine lovely city!