Malin Persson

What appealed to you about Ravensbourne and your chosen degree course? The digital focus and industry agility are the reasons that essentially made me choose to study graphic design at Ravensbourne and not anywhere else.

How has your degree from Ravensbourne helped you achieve your professional goals? Ravensbourne definitely gave me the confidence and the skill set to take my first steps out into the industry and feel that I could tackle anything. The updated, industry-aligned briefs that we were given throughout my 3 years at Ravensbourne really set the bar high and pushed, challenged and developed us as students to a very high standard. I later realised this was very different approach to other institutions.

Please list the benefits that you experienced from studying with us. 

Extra-curricular activities such as:

·Rave Lates

·Workshops

·Festivals and Industry days

·Great learning resources (CLR and library)

·Industry connections and contacts

·Opportunities to meet and collaborate with students on other courses

What were your main highlights from your time at Ravensbourne? Without a doubt the number one highlight that gave me the most industry insight was being elected to do the creative direction for The Degree Show in 2015. I was also shortlisted for "Student of the year" & "Concept Award" at The Awards Show in the same year. During my 1st and 2nd year I was the International and  EU Student Rep for RaveSU which was a great experience.

How is Ravensbourne (and your chosen course) different from other universities/colleges? I believe the Graphic Design course at Ravensbourne produces not only industry-ready 'Graphic Designers' – but critical, analytical and insightful 'Creative Thinkers and Strategists' too. Something that I've benefited from greatly in the role I'm in today.

Are you in employment and, if so as what? Yes! Coming out of university I spent 3.5 years leading ‘Glug’ (a creative industry body) where I oversaw a vast array of projects across events, franchise network development, partnerships, and brand strategy.

I learnt a great deal about what it means to run a business, how the global creative industry acts in different corners of the world and how to truly develop a community-first network in the UK through to the global brand that it is today.

From there I spent a short stint at the EdTech giant ‘General Assembly’ as their Brands & Industry Partnerships Manager, where I was driving awareness and visibility in the market through events and partnerships.

Then, in early 2019 I landed my absolute dream job and joined the wonderful world and mothership of design, Adobe. At Adobe I’m a Senior Product Marketing Manager responsible for adoption of Creative Cloud in the Enterprise segment.

I’m also very passionate about our social impact work and you’ll find me promoting creativity and digital literacy through our amazing charity, education and soc enterprise partners. Having used Adobe software since my teenage years, I still have to pinch myself when I’m reminded that I work for Adobe.

What advice would you give to prospective students? Network, network, network! In London there are endless of opportunities to meet others who work in the industry you want to enter so make sure to actively grab these and soak up as much industry knowledge as you can during your time as a student.

Talk to and connect with everyone you meet regardless of level or job title, and find ways to stay in touch with them. Having an industry network prior to graduation is an epic advantage and it will also give you a greater sense of where you want to start your career journey. 

Another piece of advice is to never be afraid of asking questions. Sprinkle your questions everywhere; it might seem like a small thing, but it truly shows that you’re interested and have that insatiable curiosity which will lead you to the forefront of our industry.