23 questions!

Meet Nina. Born of creative stock, this Barbie-dodging, eloquent ninja has her finger firmly on the pulse of design.

1. What sparked your passion for design?
As a child I always remember being surrounded and encouraged to explore, question, draw, play, build, deconstruct ( or is that break), create and use my imagination. My parents surrounded me with books and I remember just falling in love with the way the illustrations fell upon the page and not just the illustrations but the actual hardbook covers with their embossed gold type or brilliantly designed covers. I think this helped spark my passion for print.

2. How creative were you as a youngster?
Days filled with early morning 80s cartoons, macano, lego, avoiding barbie dolls and tea parties, preferring to pretend to be a ninja or archaeologist or creating some kind of strange rock sculpture in the backyard or perfecting my drawing of oh so forward 80s fashion. This childhood meant Art and design were always the first subjects ticked off on my yearly school class list everything else came second.

3. Do you come from a creative family?
My family all love to be creative in a variety of forms. My dad with words and paint. My mum with a sewing machine, green thumb and amazing cooking without ever looking at a recipe. My sister is a brilliant illustrator using ink and watercolours, whilst also being an vintage re-fashioning seamstress. My eldest brother is brilliant with boats, teaching and words and my second eldest brother with photography and teaching.

4. Were they supportive of your desire to be a designer?
Yes. My parents and family all believe strongly in following your heart and dreams before thinking of money.

5. What sort of education and training have you had?
I finished high school knowing I wanted to do something in design, film or art. I graduated a few years later with a Bachelor of Arts Major in Graphic Design from the Queensland College of Art. I have also had subsequent yearly up dating of skills with Adobe Training Seminars in Adobe CS3 suite. But believe my best training has been though those I've worked with at the jobs I have held. Insight and experience gained from working side by side with talents already in the industry have given me invaluable training I'd never learn from a book or course.

6. Who did you want to work for when you first entered the industry?
In my dreams: Internationally, David Carson. As he was one of the major inspirations for my wanting to be a graphic designer or Tomato in the UK as their typography just amazed me.
In reality: Locally I wanted to work for a company like Inkahoots, Brisbane. I still admire their ethical design practices.

7. Tell us about your first project and what do you feel about it now?
My First major project was re-designing the new logo for Regional Galleries of Queensland. It was a challenge and a great learning curve. I feel now it allowed me to realise not just the creative side of design but the importance to client and designer relationships and communication.

8. What is your preferred software to work with and what has been the greatest advancement in technology over the past 5 years?
My preferred software to work with is the MAC OS software and Adobe Creative Suite in particular Adobe Illustrator. I love vector illustration. Sketching my ideas then working them into a vector illustration click by click with tracing is something I love. As for advancements in technology, with it's ever improving interface and simpicity. The iMac is an obvious choice looking gorgeous, oozing style, oh and being great to design with of course!

9. What are the various mediums that you've worked with and is there any that you would like to explore?
I always have a soft spot for a very fine black ink pen or very sharp graphite pencil and A5 sketchbooks (the smaller the sketchbook the better!). But from ink, screenprinting, photography, crayons, paint and computer. The one I'd like to explore more is LOMO photography. The certaintty of knowing that every shot's outcome is uncertain is a freeing and creative experience. Plus its great being able to say 'No, it's not blurry or out of focus cos I'm a bad photographer.. it's a LOMO shot'.

10. Is digital technology going to eliminate the need for print?
I think it will go a long way in elimanating unncessary print. But there will always be a desire for printed matter as it is tangible. This is something that people engage with emotionally and physically.

11. Whose work do you really admire and why?
GhostCo for his amazing detailed illustrations, clean simple yet full of emotion. Use of black ink and pen to deliver such imagery is inspiring. Deanne Cheuk for her creative designs, illustrations and books. Beautiful watercolours and illustrations such as her 'Mushroom Girls' and a talented designer. Having the chance to have one of my illustrations printed in one of her 'NeoMu' books has been one of the highlights of my career in design and illustration.

12. Who has been the greatest person that you've ever had the pleasure of working with and what have they taught you?
My friend Fee 'Rice' Lee. Working and creatively playing on projects with her has pushed my creativity further. Working with a great illustrator and designer openened up my eyes to different things.

13. What has been your greatest achievement so far?
Moving to Melbourne without knowing a single person here and working with great people who have given me experience and knowledge that I'd never have gained if I had not chosen to not take a chance. Also having the chance to work at (belong), Port Melbourne. They gave me a chance to learn from some of the best creatives and talents I have had the chance to work with many of whom now work in and around some of the best agencies and studios in Melbourne.

14. How would you describe your work?
Clean, conceptual, elegant and creative. A mix of conceptual thinking, attention to detail and a love of clean lines, typography and illustration.

15. What are your plans for the future?
To experience more of what Melboure's design industry has to offer, travel and learn as much as I can. To also keep working on my illustrations and continually challenging myself as a designer.

16. What sort of company would you like to work with next?
One that has passion and belief for what they do. A creative company where the people are passionate about their work, laugh and collectively learn from each other and creatively challenge those who work for them.

17. What is your opinion of Australian design?
I think Australian design is diverse with small studios coming up with some great unique work not overly influenced by overseas.

18. What is the best/worst thing about being a designer in Australia?
Being a small country away from the rest of the world we produce some unique and different design that can't be classed in a particular style due to it's diversity. On the downside, we are distant from the rest of the world.

19. In your opinion, what is the greatest challenge the Australian design industry has to face in the near future?
One of the greatest challenges for the Australian Design Industry for the near future will be balancing print design with the increasing environmental effects of carbon emissions.

20. What is your creative outlet outside of design?
Sketching, vector illustration, photographing the everyday and exploring hidden treasures of the city. But I also love to work on collaborative personal projects with close friends

21. What is the best designed bar in Melbourne?
One that lets me hear the laughter and whispers. One that lets me sit back and relax under the sun in summer and curl into a booth of warmth in the cool of winter. This bar..would be..a combination of those found in curtain house, swanston street.

22. What are your top 5 websites at the moment?
www.flickr.com/photos/neeno/sets/72157594163173328/
www.notcot.org - from design, food to fashion.
www.facebook.com - the book of faces has got me caught up.
www.fffound.com
www.designisinky.com

23. If I was a font, I'd be...?
A one off font design called 'beans' - modern, curved, hand drawn and nicely kerned.

Do you need an A-List Artisan like Nina in your studio? Would you like to know more? Contact Michelle NOW.