Sarina Kaur

Graphic designer, Sarina Kaur graduated in 2018 with a degree in Visual Communication from Birmingham City University. She spent the first year after graduation freelancing and worked hard to kick-start her design career by juggling this with part-time jobs and building connections through social media. Her determination eventually paid off and she was offered her first full-time creative role as a Junior Packaging Designer at international brand agency, Marks in Birmingham.

Joining the agency in a junior role has allowed Sarina to develop solid technical and creative skills, due to the wide variety of projects she gets to work on. Her current role focuses mainly on packaging design, but also involves 3D visualisation, retouching and art working, giving her an excellent grounding to build on. At first it was challenging because there was a lot to learn and she was concerned about her lack of experience, which are issues a lot new designers face when just starting out in the industry. However, she quickly rose to the challenge and has adapted to the fast-paced work environment, finding her colleagues very supportive. Adapting to different client briefs and multi-tasking is something Sarina now thrives on and she works with many big-name brands, including, Cadbury’s, Simple, Dettol and Sensodyne.

In her spare time, Sarina is learning extra skills such as animation and 3D rendering to help broaden her skillset. Her varied portfolio is filled with vibrant colour and illustration, with a focus on brand identity – something she wants to develop more as she progresses in her career. We’re looking forward to seeing where she goes next!

We caught up with Sarina about the things she finds most exciting about being a designer, her job working in a large branding agency and using creative thinking to overcome challenges.

How did you first become interested in working as a designer?

From a young age, I’ve always been interested in anything visually creative. Whether it be fashion, product design, print work… literally anything visual. I studied product design in school and fell in love with the process of sketching concepts, digitising the artwork and setting up programmes like CAD (wow I feel old). After physically building and being able to see my work, even when creating fashion content, I realised each project also incorporated graphic design.

Describe your career path of how you got to where you are now.

I studied graphic design at college and continued this at university. As design changed over time,
I discovered which disciplines suited me best. I experimented with a combination of traditional mediums (print/paint/letter press/ paper cutting etc.) combined with digital skills. I currently specialise in packaging design and work on a wide variety of global brands. I never get bored because I work on a new project almost every day.

What do you enjoy most about being a designer?

I enjoy the challenges that come with solving briefs. Each project has different requirements that challenge you to think differently. There’s a level of tension that can come with answering a project brief. Once it’s resolved, you feel satisfaction from the effort you put in.

What does your day-to-day working at Marks involve?

We have seven major accounts (not including the US accounts) and each one has its own set of clients. The office I work in is a large open space with around 60-70 people grouped into sections based on the account they predominantly work on. My role is hugely varied and every few days I’m working on a different brand, with a wide variety of clients form around the world.

I primarily work on packaging concepts and art working files to make sure they are print-ready. With any conceptual brief, we research and develop our thought process to a stage where we can begin producing ‘sketched’ concepts, with the brand equities in mind. Then we will create a presentation for the client and discuss how we can develop the ideas to achieve the best outcome. Once the digital side has been approved, we set up the files for print.

It sounds like your job is very fast paced, how have you managed this as a junior?

I wish that university taught more about the technical aspects of design not just the fluidity. You really do have to learn on the job! When I first started in my current role, I had no idea what I was doing! I am largely self-taught and was lucky to learn from my peers. Online tutorials and the support of people around me taught me so much in a short space of time. Everything I work on now is thoroughly checked and you learn to be rigorous in the way you work. From labelling layers, setting up links, colour specifications, print finishes to structuring print ready files. It’s been a steep learning curve but after almost two years at Marks, I’ve come a long way.

Has being a woman impacted your career?

I’ve personally felt no difference being a woman and working in a creative industry. This may be because I haven’t been in the industry long enough. Luckily in my current role, everyone is equally supportive of each other. I’ve not experienced any ‘hierarchy’ where a man has been put ahead of me in the workplace. People develop depending on their work ethic and attitude.

There is lots of discussion within the design industry about the gender pay gap and how few women progress into senior positions. Do you have any thoughts on how we can counteract this imbalance?

I do see a gap in the creative industry in terms of women not being in senior positions when being compared to men. This may be due to women having to take care of children around the ages when people would usually become managers etc. There are one or two women in the agency I work for who are in senior roles but they have one or no children. I’ve noticed that women often work in the account management roles as opposed to creative design roles. A way to counteract this could be for current managers to take childcare into consideration and be more supportive of the amount of time and flexibility needed to raise a family and work full time. In general, I believe managers need to recognise that women are just as capable as men in the workplace.

If you could go back to the beginning and start your career again, what would tell your younger self?

I would tell my younger self to not stress as much or feel anxiety when you don’t know how to do something – a design career often takes time to develop. You’ll wake up every morning feeling motivated and ready to achieve anything thanks to those supporting you every day!

A lot of people in the creative industries struggle with imposter syndrome and self-doubt – have you experienced this and how do you deal with it?

I often experience this because I’m still at the very beginning of my design career. Seeing everyone above me work fast and efficiently definitely makes me doubt myself sometimes. Although, when I compare myself to a year ago, I’ve come such a long way that I’m sure there’s only good to come.

Do you have any female role models or mentors who have shaped your career?

My mum is my role model. She’s a hardworking independent woman who is not in design but has shaped my career by pushing me to be the best woman I can be.

Do you have any words of advice for women considering a career in the design industry today?

Be proactive and help yourself thrive. Work hard but don’t be afraid to ask for help. BE YOU.

Where do you see yourself in 5 years’ time?

I see myself in another country working as a designer but as a midweight or senior. I would hope to have developed my skills enough to move into branding or advertising. I love packaging design, but I think it would be great to challenge myself and to see how far I can go.

Which designer has most inspired you?

I’ve always admired the work of Kate Moross and Mele De la yglesia. Their work reminds me of my own, in the sense of being loud, colourful, curvaceous and creative.