22 | Pick ’n Mix No 2: Our monthly dose of inspiration and optimism

If you spend any time on LinkedIn, you’d think graduating from a design course is a slow slide into despair. The fact is that the algorithms love a horror story: “It’s impossible to get a job.” “The market’s the worst it’s ever been.” “Good luck out there.”

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When you’re fresh out of university, those narratives hit hard. They take what should be an exciting moment and turn it into something narrow, daunting and joyless.
At this week’s Pick ’n Mix session, Our recent graduate intern Mia offered a refreshingly different take. Instead of dwelling on the doom scroll, she reframed the early career experience in the way only this new designer can – with honesty, optimism and a sense of possibility.

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“How exciting is it to be a graduate?”

What was clear from Mia’s presentation is that, for her, the industry isn’t a closed door. It's open and exciting, because you’re not boxed in. You haven't accumulated a decade of fixed habits and your brain is still in sponge-mode, soaking up every tool, every reference, and every conversation.

As she put it in her Pick ‘n Mix session: you get to learn something new every day because you don’t know everything yet. That isn’t a flaw either – it’s the entire joy of the start.

That simple mindset shift, from fear to curiosity, changes everything.

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But optimism only works if the we meet graduates halfway

Some of our designers have been in the industry for 20+ years, so it's easy to forget what it’s like for emerging designers. And while graduates can absolutely be resilient, they shouldn’t be expected to go it alone. If anything, Mia’s story shows how much determination, self-belief and perseverance early-career designers are already bringing to the table.

When she graduated, Mia sent out 50 emails to studios across the country and she stayed positive, kept chasing, and refused to let silence knock her confidence. That in itself is a skill.

One of the replies she received was from our Creative Director Jon Dignam. At the time, we already had an intern, but Jon still took the time to reply thoughtfully and encouragingly, as a fellow Nottingham Trent alumni who remembered what that early phase feels like.

When Mia and Jon crossed paths again at New Designers a few months later, we finally had an opening. The conversation picked back up and Mia made a brilliant impression in her interview. Soon after, she joined the studio.

“What stood out about Mia wasn’t just her portfolio – it was her attitude. She kept showing up, staying curious, staying positive. That kind of tenacity is exactly what this industry needs more of.” - Our Creative Director Jon.

It’s a reminder that small gestures – even just a reply, a bit of portfolio feedback, or a “keep in touch” –  can make a huge difference to someone just starting out. We understand that not everyone can offer an internship instantly, but every studio can offer humanity.

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Pockets of Joy: What’s Inspiring Mia Right Now

The second half of Mia’s Pick ’n Mix was dedicated to the work, ideas and makers currently filling up her “sponge mode.” It was really inspiring for Our team to see what younger designers find exciting about different projects and mediums. A few highlights from Mia’s selections are:

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Wild World branding – UnitedUs

Clever copy matched with minimal, characterful design, showing that simplicity lands hardest when it’s rooted in story.

Typographic experiments by Snooze One

A joyful antidote to endless digital sameness through type that feels human, messy, expressive.

Editorial design by Andia Angelidou

Beautiful embossing and debossing used not as decoration but as a structural storytelling tool.

“Unwritten Rules” by Frances Law

An incredible piece of educational design helping explain emotions to people with autism. We love it because it's thoughtful, empathetic, and purposeful.

Coppafeel rebrand

A campaign that meets young people where they are and speaks in their language, without diluting its seriousness or mission.

Urban strategy publication made from orange peels

A beautiful example of material storytelling, where sustainability isn’t just a claim, but a tactile experience.

Although these projects aren’t linked by style or sector, they’re linked by feeling. They all have the kind of spark that reminds you why you wanted to work in this industry in the first place.

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The takeaway: A graduate perspective we need more of

Mia’s presentation was a little nudge to designers new and old in Our team. Yes, the industry is tough, but it’s also full of possibility, generosity and joy when we choose to make space for it, which is what we try to do every day at OurCreative.

For Our team, that means replying to the email you don’t strictly have time for. For the graduates and interns we mentor, it means holding onto the excitement, even when the process feels slow.

And for everyone, it means learning from Mia’s approach: stay open, stay curious, keep absorbing. The best work often comes from the people who still soak up creativity day in, day out.