A global designer helping out the next generation
From working in design studios, to lecturing, to founding a global online design community that bridges the gap between studying and working in design, Swinburne alumni Frankie Ratford has been busy since graduating.
Written by Renee Chung, Bachelor of Design / Bachelor of Media and Communications.
The Design Kids, who have endorsed Swinburne this year, provides global online resources to educate, inspire and connect graphic design students to industry as well as local community events and networking.
Founder Frankie came to Swinburne as a second-year student having already completed a course in graphic design programs.
She studied a Bachelor of Design with a major in Communication Design, and at the end of her second year, applied to the Industry Placement program, where students work in the design industry for an entire year.
After sheer determination and perseverance, she secured employment at Chimera Design after which she returned to complete her honours.
“It was awesome!” she says of her time at uni.
After an almost-disaster at her graduation showcase, involving a lost final year project, she was luckily able to get contact details to send her folio off to design studio Frost* Collective.
“I wasn’t messing around,” she says of her job application process after university.
“I'd done a tonne of research to know which studios I suited and where I wanted to go, so I was ready.”
Two weeks after Christmas, Frankie got a call, and one week after that, she had moved to Sydney.
Designing a global experience
She spent the next 18 months at Frost* Collective, but found that while she loved graphic design, she wasn’t in love with the business of being a graphic designer. She decided to take six months off, ending up in Madagascar.
It was there where she decided she wanted to help people, specifically people with an interest in design. Exploring gaps in the industry, Frankie found that getting a job after graduation was a big issue for many, so The Design Kids was born.
Frankie helps design graduates find work in the industry.
Since starting the organisation, Frankie has been flown to New York City, Dubai, Barcelona, Tel Aviv, Dublin, Florida, Milwaukee and Melbourne to speak at design conferences.
“There's something about speaking at international conferences that makes my heart sing - to be recognised in design still blows my mind.”
She’s also lectured at a wide range of design universities and colleges, been invited to judge awards and been featured on blogs.
“I am insanely grateful to be part of this amazing global community we have in design.”
What’s next?
“ALL THE GOOD STUFF!” says Frankie.
The Design Kids is planning design bootcamps - applications are open at TDKbootcamps.org - in exotic locations where they take a handful of lucky designers and completely polish and make their careers in a week, then send them off into the world.
The Design Kids will be holding events at Swinburne throughout 2019.
They’ve just completed one in Sri Lanka and have ones in Bali, Portugal and Byron coming up. She’s also writing a book, doing design charity trips, learning UX and coaching design studios!
10 years of success
The Design Kids will be 10 years old this November and Frankie wants to stress that they are not recruiters.
“The graduates figure out their (own) careers, we just have all the resources in one place for them,” she says.
The Design Kids hold local events called #TDKtuesdays which Swinburne will be hosting three of this year in conjunction with the Swinburne Design Collective.
“If you're going to design your life, why make it boring?!” says Frankie.
Look out for more details about #TDKtuesdays throughout the year and if you’re a designer, check out thedesignkids.org
Written by Renee Chung, Bachelor of Design / Bachelor of Media and Communications. Renee is currently on placement at Swinburne in the Design Bureau studio.














