‘Kid from Dalby’ is designing his own future
17 Oct 2019
Daniel Swift may have only officially graduated from USC with a Bachelor of Design last month but he’s already in demand and booked out on freelancing work for the rest of the year.
Majoring in graphic design and minoring in creative advertising, Daniel, 21, was awarded Best Graphic Design Portfolio (Judge’s Choice) and Best Graphic Design Portfolio (People’s Choice) at Exhibition X, the graduate exhibition held at the end of formal studies.
“I was so thrilled to be recognised and it really was the cherry on top of my university studies,” Daniel said.
“I wasn’t the most academic student at school. So, when I finished at Dalby State High School, I was equally surprised and thrilled to be offered a place at USC.”
Daniel is now working on building his client base, working as a freelance designer based on the Sunshine Coast with recent clients including ethical clothing label The Travelling Kimono and local furniture boutique Alabaster Trader.
“I have developed identity projects and visual material for a range of clients in industries including luxury, retail and arts,” he said.
“I really enjoy thinking up creative solutions for clients and I always encourage them to be as involved in the process as they can, as I see my work as more of a collaboration between designer and client than a contract job.
“I’m thankful to my USC mentors and lecturers who have instilled in me a drive to continue to educate and improve myself with every job I take.
“Studying something that I was deeply invested in was great for me and I thrived at USC, taking every opportunity I could to further my studies. I completed several design internships on the Coast and gained valuable industry experience from them.
“I was also chosen to participate in the Hong Kong Study Tour in 2018 where we visited a wide variety of established marketing, advertising and design firms. It was such an amazing experience that will always remain a highlight of my career.”
In his own words: “that’s not bad for a kid from Dalby”.
- Megan Woodward
Related articles
USC degree takes doctor from clinic to classroom
9 FebA medical doctor and clinical researcher of 10 years who treated children with polio in rural India and Nigeria has become a Sunshine Coast high school teacher, encouraging more teenagers – particularly women – into maths and science professions.
Job-ready skills give Accounting graduates the edge
5 JanAs demand for job-ready graduates grows, Accounting students at USC Fraser Coast are proving that gaining workplace experience while completing a degree can quickly add up to career success.
Graduate builds local and global engineering career
1 Dec 2020A top-achieving USC Civil Engineering Honours graduate who received one of the first Thompson Excellence Scholarships to support her studies is now working with a global firm to upgrade railways and roads in her home region.
Contact the USC media team
| Name | Position | Phone | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Terry Walsh | Manager, Media and Messaging | twalsh@usc.edu.au | +61 7 5430 1160 |
| Janelle Kirkland | Media Relations Coordinator | jkirklan@usc.edu.au | +61 7 5459 4553 |
| Clare McKay | Media Relations Officer (Regional) | cmckay@usc.edu.au | +61 7 5456 5669 |