Katie O’Rourke is a graphic designer and illustrator with a passion for branding, editorial design, and illustration – all of which she combines in her well-considered and beautifully crafted work. After starting her career in management, Katie enrolled on the three-month Shillington course to pursue more fulfilling creative work. She followed up the course with internships and her first freelance commissions, one of which became her first full-time employment as an in-house designer for British Cycling. At the start of 2022 Katie took the plunge into full-time freelance work so she could work with clients who are “doing something positive in the world.”
Katie’s work is vibrant and playful; never trying to develop a particular style, she has let her creative practice develop organically over time. One of the main drivers of Katie’s creativity is her determination to work on projects that use design as a tool for social change and do good in the world. She tells DbyW that designing the magazine NRTH LASS – which features a collection of stories that celebrate women who’ve developed their career paths in unique ways – is one of her favourite projects so far: “It’s such a pleasure to bring to life stories of women forging their own paths.”
We talked to Katie to find out more about her creative process, sources of inspiration and overcoming the challenges she faced working in the creative industry.
How did you first become interested in working as a designer and illustrator?
Design really wasn’t on my radar as an option until I saw an advert for Shillington College, which offers a 3-month course to train as a graphic designer. I had already decided to quit the management role I was in to go travelling and find a more creative career path. It came at the right time, and I quickly realised that it was the right thing for me to do.
Breeze into the Forest – A campaign for British Cycling in collaboration with Forestry England, encouraging women to join a free bike ride.
Can you tell us about your career path and how you got to where you are now?
After Shillington I did a couple of brief internships and picked up a bit of freelance work. At the time it felt like quite a slow start, but it allowed me to experiment and say yes to different opportunities that came my way. I landed a month’s freelance work as part of British Cycling’s in-house design team, after which I was offered a full-time job as a graphic designer. I stayed there for almost four years. At the start of 2022 I decided to become a full-time freelance designer, with the aim of working with brands and organisations doing something positive in the world.
What were the key learning points from working as an in-house designer at British Cycling?
There were so many because it was my first proper job as a designer. But also, we were such a small team that from day one I was involved in so many different projects: Digital, print, editorial, event branding and advertising campaigns. Every week was different and I was allowed to experiment and put my own stamp on things. I think some people have a negative view of in-house wich can be seen as less varied and exciting But they can be a great way to have a go at everything and push boundaries.
“…we were such a small team that from day one I was involved in so many different projects: Digital, print, editorial, event branding and advertising campaigns. Every week was different and I was allowed to experiment and put my own stamp on things.”
Alphabet series – A personal project Katie works on to get moving again when she feels creatively stuck.
What made you decide to take the plunge into full-time freelance?
Since moving into graphic design it was always in the back of my mind that I’d find my way back into freelancing one day. I’d been hoping a moment would come where it would seem like the obvious next step to take and luckily that was when I was offered a couple of amazing projects that I would have really struggled to do alongside full-time employment. It still wasn’t an easy decision, but I was very much in my comfort zone in my previous role and was craving a bit of new-ness. I’m seeing so many more brands embracing sustainability and trying to find a way of using design as a force for good, and I want to be able to support this trend, picking and choosing projects which make sense to me.
“I’m seeing so many more brands embracing sustainability and trying to find a way of using design as a force for good, and I want to be able to support this trend, picking and choosing projects which make sense to me.”
How have you developed your visual style throughout your career? Have there been any pivotal moments?
No pivotal moments really, I just take things one brief at a time. I’ve never tried to land on a particular style, but my favourite projects usually have a strong colour palette and an illustrative element. It’s good to look back and see how my work has evolved, and I’ve noticed that I’ve been able to push my work further as I’ve gained new technical skills. Learning to illustrate with an iPad has helped, allowing me to introduce more texture and experiment with more hand-drawn elements.
Where do you get your inspiration from and how do you approach a new project?
I’m mostly inspired by other creatives, both in visual design and in other fields. But also by spending time outdoors, whether in cities or nature, observing colours, forms, and textures. I try to start each project with a clean slate, spending some time understanding what’s really needed and investigating different approaches, keeping an open mind. I usually do quite a bit of sketching and word association to tease out ideas and delve beyond the obvious.
The Iris Project – Brand identity for an environmental foundation supporting young people to protect and restore nature.
Tell us about a standout project that you’ve worked on and why it’s important to you.
I recently finished creating the visual identity for a new global coalition for women’s economic empowerment, a collaboration with Maker Change Studio. It was one of those projects that ticked all the boxes: a big-scale branding project for a forward-thinking social enterprise. I had the trust of the client to experiment and follow where the brief led me. Also fun – and a new experience for me – was that there were ten potential names for the coalition still on the table when I got on board. This meant I got to play around giving each name its own personality before a final route was decided upon. Seeing a project from its conception to its life in the real world is really satisfying.
How would you describe yourself as a designer and illustrator?
I hope open and curious, methodical, and often intuitive. I don’t love working under pressure, I like giving ideas time to breathe and come to life. That said, sometimes you don’t have the luxury of lots of time to realize a project, so I find it helpful to have the mindset of doing the best job possible within whatever limitations are in place.
WeProsper – Brand identity for a global coalition for women’s economic empowerment.
How do you think we can encourage greater diversity and inclusion across the creative industries?
By considering our own biases and looking outside of our usual networks for new talent and inspiration alike. By encouraging kindness and acceptance and less competitiveness.
A lot of people in the creative industries struggle with self-doubt. Have you experienced this and how do you deal with it?
Definitely, this is an on-going struggle. But I’m getting a lot better at ignoring the negative voices in my head. Having open conversations with friends in both creative and non-creative roles has helped, since almost everyone experiences this to some degree. For me it gets worse if I’m tired or have too much on. Finding a balance in my life really helps me quash those doubts. Also, trying not to overly identify with my career. I think this is quite common as we see ourselves as ‘creatives’ first and foremost, so if work isn’t going well, life isn’t going well. But having other interests (for me spending time in nature, learning a language) is a great way of expanding my sense of who and what I am.
“Definitely, this is an on-going struggle. But I’m getting a lot better at ignoring the negative voices in my head. Having open conversations with friends in both creative and non-creative roles has helped, since almost everyone experiences this to some degree.”
If you could go back to the beginning and start your career again what would tell your younger self?
Don’t worry about making mistakes, don’t be so careful. And it’s okay to take lots of rest because you’ve got literally decades ahead of you to keep working!
Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?
I’ve really no idea, in the best possible way. Hopefully enjoying myself, working with brands that are doing some good in the world and still eager to learn. If I’m fluent in French, then that’ll be a bonus!
Name your top three creative crushes currently working in the industry?
- Holly Ovenden (hollydrawsinink)
- Violaine Orsoni of (Violaine et Jeremy)
- My sister Anna O’Rourke who has just taken the plunge into becoming a graphic designer herself which I find really inspirational! (annaorourkedesign)