Overview

The Role:
Joining Newish Communications has been one of the highlights of my time at The University of Queensland. I began my time at Newish as a Creative Strategist and subsequently was promoted to the role of Director of Creative Strategy. Both roles allowed me to gain a myriad of hard and soft skills including web development, creativity, Adobe Suite proficiency and leadership.
‍
The Projects
Below is a documentation of a selection of projects which I worked on and contributed to, during my time at Newish. Undertaking projects for diverse clients from not-for-profit organisations such as Orange Sky Laundry, to telecommunications engineering companies, allowed me to gain broad experience. Additionally, learning activities and competitions were valuable in building my competence and confidence in this field.

Client Project - Orange Sky Laundry Social Media Campaign

One project I worked on during my time at Newish was creating social media content for Orange Sky Laundry. Working closely with the organisation, I contributed to developing engaging content aimed at raising awareness and support for their mission of providing laundry and shower services to the unhoused community.

Our team crafted strategic narratives and visuals to effectively convey Orange Sky Laundry's message of dignity, respect, and community support, some of which are highlighted in the screenshots below. This experience enhanced my skills in content creation and storytelling, while also highlighting the impact that digital platforms can have in driving social change.

Competition - International Advertising Association Finalists

A valuable element of being part of the Newish team is the opportunity to compete in industry competitions. As Director of Creative Strategy, I formed a team of Newish members to compete in the International Advertising Association's (IAA) Big Idea Competition. The competition tasked us with creating an advertising campaign report, promotional video and pitch presentation, for a real life client: "Zinkkle". Through these deliverables, I developed skills in market research, creative ideation, budget and media schedule creation in addition to teamwork, leadership and communication.

My team and I were chosen as a finalist and were invited to present our campaign pitch to IAA and Zinkkle executives. It was an honour to represent Newish and The University of Queensland in Sydney at the Meta offices, and I enjoyed taking part in this invaluable experience.

Below you'll find a happy snap of our team and a slide show below depicting a selection of slides from our pitch deck:

Internal Project - The Newish Website

During my time at Newish, I was able to leverage my technical web development experience gained through my degree, both internally within the organisation and for external clients. I gained invaluable experience in WordPress and web development through managing and maintaining the Newish website. I took on the responsibility of ensuring the site remained updated, user-friendly, and visually appealing. This involved implementing various plugins, customising themes, monitoring SEO and troubleshooting technical issues as they arose.

This hands-on experience not only sharpened my skills in web development, but also taught me the importance of effective communication and collaboration. Not only did I learn from others, I was also able to share my own web development knowledge with team members who did not have technical experience. Through continuous learning and adaptation I was able to enhance Newish's online presence and contribute to its success in reaching and engaging with its audience.

Reflection

At Newish Communications, team members are 'thrown in the deep end', and in the beginning, being responsible for real world projects felt daunting. However, I quickly learnt to trust both in my own abilities, as well as the abilities of my fellow team members. It was incredibly rewarding to produce work for clients, and develop and apply my skills beyond the classroom.