Branding specialist and freelance designer Tina Jiwa has spent her career to date developing her extensive skillset in various agency roles – most recently as Head of Design at branding agency Noir in Manchester. Making the decision to go freelance earlier this year, she is currently enjoying the experience of being more in control of her career than ever before.
After graduating, Tina started her career as an in-house designer. Wanting to follow her passion for branding she soon after moved to a role at a digital marketing agency and eventually on to branding agency Noir. Throughout her career, developing others has become something that Tina is also passionate about. Alongside creating meaningful branding design, she has garnered experience in managing creative teams, reflecting that “I found new fulfilment in collaboration and helping people in my team to grow.”
Having realised that “building someone else’s dream” was no longer satisfying her, Tina began working as a freelance designer at the start of 2020. Being in shutdown at first seemed like a setback but Tina now feels this time has allowed her to reassess what’s important in life and has been an opportunity to reflect on who she wants to be as a designer. Six months in and she is extremely excited for what the future holds and is really enjoying being able to set her own goals.
Keen to continue supporting and developing new designers and wanting to be more involved with her local design scene in Birmingham, Tina has recently been involved with the Birmingham City University Graduate Showcase 2020 ‘Forward’, providing talks, portfolio reviews and one-to-one mentorship for new graduates.
We caught up with Tina to find out more about her journey, tips for new graduates and experiences of being a woman in the design industry.
Can you tell us about how you first became interested in working as a designer?
I always wanted to design in one way or another – I loved art at school and knew that it was the career path I wanted to take. Drawing and designing has always fed my soul and made me happy and I was always told to choose a career that I will enjoy every day, so it worked out perfectly! I’m now a branding specialist and my interest in this area was sparked whilst studying graphic design at university.
Describe how you got to where you are now.
After university I worked as an in-house designer for an architect firm in London. This enhanced my love for branding but I felt limited creatively. I was struggling to get into a branding agency at the time so my next job was at a digital marketing agency which I felt was a step in the right direction. My role introduced me to managing projects and combined with my love of design, I found a new fulfilment developing people in my team and watching them grow.
After a couple of years, I moved to Manchester to join a branding agency where my aim was to become Creative Director. I knew it would be a place to develop my skills, work with talented designers and create meaningful design. I loved my time at Noir and progressed to Head of Design.
At the start of 2020 I realised that job titles didn’t mean as much to me anymore and I wanted to test myself in new ways rather than climbing the standard career ladder. So, I left my agency role with no plans ahead of me – it was scary but the best thing I’ve ever done! The past 6 months of freelancing have inspired me to look at self-improvement more widely and it’s been amazing to meet a new version of myself. I guess I always felt nervous about facing the design industry on my own, but as a freelancer I love the feeling of creative freedom and bring more in control of my goals than I have ever done before.
How have you grown over time and developed throughout your career?
Naturally I am an introvert and it used to take me a while to be comfortable around people, so pitching concepts to clients was initially a struggle for me. I have experienced self-doubt, fears and worry as a designer – my first few years in the industry felt like I had an internal battle between my negative thoughts and my positive beliefs. But working with amazing teams and being inspired by so many talented people has helped me grow and learn. I’ve been lucky to always have been supported in my roles and my overall time working in agencies has been amazing. I’d say I have tested myself the most in the past year or two when I have really pushed myself to grow as a designer. I have come to the conclusion that I need to put myself first and make my ambitions the priority.
How has being a woman impacted your career? (positively and/or negatively).
I’ve been very lucky to have never experienced being put down, questioned or judged as a woman in my career. Although, I have experienced and noticed jealousy amongst women. It feels like we are all fighting for what we see as a few seats at the top table and when we see another woman has made it we want to be there. Having worked with predominantly male directors and senior creatives, it’s important that women support each other and create their own tables to positively support one another.
I have noticed that being a woman has allowed me to bring softness, vulnerability and empathy to the table where I notice men can be reluctant to. These are big strengths and allow us to visualise problems from a different angle and encourage people to be more open. In my experience being empathetic whilst also setting your boundaries and standing your ground makes for a very strong woman in this industry.
Recently, there has been lots of discussion in the industry around the gender pay gap and how few women progress into senior positions – have you experienced this yourself and do you have any thoughts on how we can counteract this imbalance?
In my most recent agency role I had the support to progress into senior positions and there was a good level of respect for all staff members, but I have experienced this earlier on in my career.
I haven’t experienced direct discrimination, but I have been aware of, at times, remnants of a “boys’ club” culture, such as overt comments about a woman’s appearance which, even if they’re not aimed at you personally, create a particular kind of atmosphere. I have also noticed the struggle women can face to progress, especially when deciding to start a family. Unfortunately, there are still narrow-minded beliefs and a lot of ego prevalent in the industry that cause barriers for women and we need to have more open discussions and education on equality and diversity, so people understand what is happening and make change.
I also believe that we shouldn’t work for people who limit our growth, if this is the case then you should move on and you create your own path of success. We all need to start aligning ourselves with people who respect us and understand equality, as women should not need to try and shine brighter to make people see our worth – we are enough as we are.
If you could go back to the beginning and start your career again what would tell your younger self?
I would say be bolder and don’t dwell on things when you know deep down what you really want. Be fierce and brazen enough to take steps that scare you – this is where you will find out more about yourself and flourish.
Do you have any words of advice for women considering a career in design today?
I think the design industry today is incredible. The community out there is so rich with talent, encouragement, love and support. So, dive straight in meet with and learn from as many people as you can but always stay true to yourself. The amazing thing about designers is that we are all so unique in our styles and everyone has a space to shine so never worry about trying to be like someone else or trying to get validation from others. Design is freedom and so believe in your work and make sure the world sees it.
What tips and advice can you give to new graduates in 2020?
As part of the BCU graduate showcase this year I gave a talk with advice and tips for new graduates. Key points included how I believe progress is not linear and as designers we are conditioned to think we need to take the standard route to success, starting with an internship progressing to a junior position onto mid-weight designer etc. Since setting up as a freelance designer I’ve realised that you can shape your own future and don’t need to feel pressurised to chase job titles to be fulfilled in your work.
I have also conducted a number of portfolio reviews and noticed that a lot of graduate work stops with uni projects and I strongly believe that you should create for creating’s sake. When hiring junior staff members in agencies I found that the applicants who stood out where the ones who had an interesting passion or side project included. Take that extra step to stand out. You can learn skills on the job but, in my opinion you, need to show a flair for design outside of a commercial brief.
Other tips included being authentic and the importance of getting your personality across; creating your own community; following your gut and choosing courage over fear.
To listen to Tina’s full talk go to: instagram.com/bcu_graphics
Which female designer/artist/thinker has most inspired you?
Jessica Walsh, Emily Forgot and Maya Angelou.
They have inspired me for different reasons but all because they have carved their own paths and followed whatever feeds their souls – and I think this is the reason for their incredible success.
Inspiring women:
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