Alumni Success Story – The Art Institute of Vancouver

BILLY HUR
ALUMNI INFORMATION
School: The Art Institute of Vancouver
Grad Year: 2006
Program of Study: Web Design and
Interactive Media
Degree: Diploma

EMPLOYMENT/PROFESSIONAL INFORMATION
Company Name: Imprint Plus
Location: Richmond
Job Title: Senior Designer

Primary Responsibilities:
Devising creative concepts for the company on the web, advertising campaigns and promotional material.

Describe a Typical Work Day:
The day starts with a department briefing for any new project or news.
After, I’ll check my inbox for new graphic requests, assign them to my schedule to prioritize jobs, and then get to work on the design jobs that are first up.

What accomplishment(s) are you most proud of?
I am the only graphic designer at Imprint Plus, providing design support to all branches across the globe. I’m pleased that Imprint Plus respects and trusts my design opinions and has awarded me ‘Employee of the Month’ on multiple occasions. I am also pleased to have successfully developed a good freelance graphic/web designer business.

What are your creative inspirations or influences? Who are your heroes?
I am always keeping my eye on the trends and the environment around me, looking for new ideas and inspiration. Online, graphicriver.net is a go-to source of stimulus and I look up to the work of designer Jonathan ‘Jony’ Ive.

What do you enjoy the most about your career?
Graphic design stimulates my creativity. I can see an idea grow from start to finish; from a simple thought, the development of a template and finally a finished design piece. The public/client interacting and reacting positively to the finished product is the best reward.

How did your education at The Art Institute of Vancouver help prepare you for your career?
As an international student looking for a college, I was first attracted to The Art Institute of Vancouver because of its respected name as one of the largest private college in North America. I then learned that the curriculum was very focused on the needs of, and respected by, the industry.

What advice do you have for people beginning their careers in your profession?
Be patient when dealing with clients in helping them create their projects. Keep learning and stay up to date on current design trends, technology and innovations.

Your profession is constantly evolving, from the technology you use to new career opportunities that didn’t exist five years ago. What trends do you see on the horizon that will affect how you do your job or your profession at-large?
The current growth in UX/UI design will create a need for new designers to be familiar with this technology. Also, motion graphics and HTML 5 are becoming more and more in-demand by the industry.