A Day in the Life of our Graduate

Friends of Design – Academy of Digital Arts has always encouraged and motivated all of our students, past and present, to bravely go out there after studies and show off their talents and skills with confidence in their abilities. One of ours has done just that, making us very proud to have called him our own.
Yusuf Abrahams studied the 2 year Digital Design course with us over 2008 / 2009, graduating at the end of 2009 with strong marks and ready to take on the design world by storm. He is now working as a Junior Designer for top notch international advertising agency, DraftFCB, who was nominated this year for a Loerie in the Digital Design category which Yusuf and his fantastic designs helped towards.
Yusuf was kind enough to take some time out from his hectic schedule to give us an update of life outside studies:


Draft FCB’s homepage which Yusuf and team worked on, nominated for a Loerie Award.

F.O.D.: Where are you working and what is your job title?
Yusuf: I work at an Ad Agency called DraftFCB in Johannesburg, I’m currently a junior digital designer.

F.O.D.: Please describe your typical workday:
Yusuf: Arrive at work and first thing I do is open my emails and Internet Browser, whilst that is loading I make myself a strong cup of coffee(caffeine is your best friend).
The first hour of the day I attend to my emails so that I know what I have to do and what changes have to been done on the current jobs that I’m working on. Within that I hour, I browse the interweb for all it’s awesomeness that it has to offer, as a digital designer you have to be aware of the trends that are happening out there! I would then liaise with my Creative Director and Account Executives who are working on the same brief as me. For the rest of the day I have my headphones on and get down to the work at hand. The day ends when all deadlines have been met, it could be 5pm or 2am…I work on the following brands: Vodacom, Toyota, Old Mutual, Emirates and Eskom.


Left: A day in the life of Yusuf at Draft FCB. Right: Popular Toyota campaign done by Yusuf and team.

F.O.D.: How are you finding working in the industry now, and how different is it to the study environment?
Yusuf: Working in the industry is what I have always wanted to do, it’s the reason why I chose this career. The industry requires you to live and breath your job, because it defines you as a creative. Everyday is a learning experience, I don’t think you will know it all in this industry! Deadline extensions are a luxury as a student. Although studying provides you with all the essential skills to enter this industry, once you have entered into this environment it is up to you to make it a never ending source of inspiration for the things that interest you, as well as the continual refinement of your already existing skills. The one thing in common is that you never stop learning!

F.O.D.: What were the most valuable skills you learnt at Friends of Design?
Yusuf: Friends of Design have equipped me with software skills that I use in the industry every day of my life. Being comfortable with the software helps you have confidence in what you are trying to achieve on the computer. A cool idea is no longer cool if it is not executed well.


Doritos competition entered into by Yusuf and the Draft FCB team, were selected as finalists.

F.O.D.: Do you have any advice you could offer to students currently studying Digital Design?
Yusuf: Hard work always pays off. Students tend to switch off early, they are easily satisfied with what they have done, and forget to step back and look at the project as a whole. As a student your fears tend to get the better of you, which can block your train of thought. Don’t get stuck on a computer. It’s easy to sit there all day, day after day with the world coming to you via email, Google and the world wide web. Clients and opportunities are everywhere. Remember every brand needs or has a digital presence…the world is going digital baby!!!

And there you have it, friends. Whether you are working already or preparing to work by studying your passion, a little bit of insight goes a long way!