Alumni

Thomas Hartshorn

Where are you doing now?

I run a digital design studio in East London called Nation. We work for clients such as Barbour, Peroni, Pilsner Urquell, Grolsch and the band Placebo.

How did studying at Northumbria help you achieve your career goals / give your career an edge?

Northumbria gave me three years of experimentation and lots of learning around the basic principles of interaction design. The digital projects we produced in those three years were not only of a better standard than most other universities but also more commercially viable and employers can see that.

What was the best thing about your course?

The people I met, both classmates and teachers. The three years at Northumbria shaped the way I think about creative ideas and still informs a lot of the way I approach projects today.

Who inspired you the most, and why?

The designer Joshua Davis was always a big inspiration as he never let himself be limited and was always pushing the edges of what could be achieved with the tools available.

Which skills/knowledge did you learn on your course that you use most now/throughout your career?

Creative thinking and project approach.

What did you enjoy most about your time at Northumbria University?

The friends I made, and the time I was given to work up ideas on my own and experiment.

What advice would you give somebody who is thinking of studying at Northumbria?

Give it your all; don't let anything hold you back. Learn software, processes and how to think off your own back, but don't get too caught up in it. Learn as you go and pick up what you need to get the job done. Make your ideas a reality, no matter how small, stupid or flippant.