Layla Hazelden

At my job Hornby’s Hobbies I have been working full-time as a Designer, Animator, and Illustrator for multiple respected brands. These companies had never had a motion designer before I started working with them, so they were very excited to throw lots of ideas at me and explore what they could do with my skill set.

Because

Hornby’s and Scalextric work with large brands like Warner Brothers and DC Comics, I have to be very aware of licensing and brand guidelines when creating my artwork. This has enabled me to develop my skills in evaluating and responding to a client’s briefs, understanding the relationship between style and branding, and producing and delivering work of a professional standard. I am pragmatic, calm, and well-organised when it comes to deadlines; managing multiple priorities, and communicating realistic timings, I am also thorough in my approach as I know that attention to detail is paramount when delivering work for clients.

I started using Adobe Illustrator Indesign, and Photoshop when I studied Graphic Design at Canterbury College in 2013, and haven’t stopped since. I am experienced to a level where I was hired to teach a course to graduates on how to use the Adobe Suite so that they could go into entry-level design-based jobs. I decided last year I wanted to expand my Adobe skills and advance my design skills in motion design using After Effects.

I took an online Motion Design course and several months later was hired as a full-time Motion Designer. I am very dedicated to design and enjoy constantly learning and creating artwork using these programs.

I graduated in Illustration at Brighton University in 2020. In my course, we worked with a wide range of medias. Some of these media are hand-drawn illustration, painting, ceramics, sewing, vector graphics, graphic design, typography design, photography, lithography, risograph, printmaking, and motion graphics. I want to use my knowledge and enjoyment of Illustration in a career that I enjoy and feel passionate about.

I have done commissioned work. I illustrated T-shirt designs for the shop Boy Parker. I have worked with the company Conker Design providing motion graphics work for their clients. I have also done general commissions which have been requested through my art Instagram and through friends and family.

This has enabled me to develop my skills in evaluating and responding to a client’s briefs, understanding the relationship between style and branding, and producing and delivering work of a professional standard. I am more confident that I am able to work to deadlines, and am thorough in my approach as I know that attention to detail is paramount when delivering work for clients. I also have had an Etsy shop in the past.

In my role at Hornby's I work with multiple highly regarded organisations that develop, manufacture, and supply for a global market, offering a collection of truly iconic brands. As part of the creative team, I create video content and various design assets for use across a variety of media, including social media, digital boards, and online. I have a lot of creative freedom and the independence to create original designs, as well as share projects and collaborate with other members of my creative team.

I often balance multiple projects at the same time, without ever having missed a deadline. With my illustrative and design background, I also create poster designs and advertising products for print and social media.

I graduated in Illustration at the University of Brighton in 2020 with a Bachelor of Arts 2:1.