Connor Goldie
Graphic & Digital Designer, Vulcan / Freelance Designer
Bachelor of Design in Communication Design
He felt drawn to design as a career, says Connor Goldie who came to AUT to study a Bachelor of Design in Communication Design.
“I’ve always been creative and artistic, and became interested in graphic design the minute I learned what it was when I was about 14. I went to a few university open days, but none gave me as much reassurance of being in the right place like AUT did. I knew it was exactly where I wanted to be after talking to lecturers, seeing past students' work and discovering the facilities.”
It’s a decision he certainly hasn’t regretted and he still has many fond memories of his time at university.
“My biggest highlight was the sense of freedom to explore whatever I felt most curious about. I enjoyed the practical, hands-on approach to learning and getting to try facilities like the photography studio, 3D printing lab and book bindery. My greatest achievement throughout my studies was becoming a Best Awards finalist for my final-year capstone project, Emergence.”
Designing for impact
After completing his studies at the end of 2022, Connor is using his design skills to create compelling visual narratives for Vulcan, a major player in the Australian and New Zealand metals industry.
“My role in Vulcan’s digital and marketing team involves UX/UI design, UX strategy, brand design and graphic design. Some areas of focus for our team right now include a product site, the vulcan.co marketing site and our learning management system. Alongside these larger projects, we also support business-as-usual requirements, which involves designing collateral to support the needs of 70 sites across New Zealand and Australia.
“I enjoy being in a team of uplifting and talented people, and knowing our work is making a significant impact on a large business. I also enjoy the variety of challenges my role brings. Working as an in-house designer, I get to see projects evolve over an extended period beyond the initial creation stage.”
But Vulcan isn’t the only company that has already benefitted from his ability to turn ideas into engaging designs.
“I previously worked at Wellcom Worldwide, where I was involved in rolling out the Countdown/Woolworths rebrand in New Zealand, and at N4 Studio where I worked with a huge range of clients from the US, UK and Australia as well as from New Zealand. My experience there gave me confidence as a digital designer, and having one of the websites I worked on featured as Site of the Day on Awwwards was one of my biggest achievements. In addition to my work at Vulcan, I also work as a freelance designer, creating strong brands and memorable experiences for B2B SaaS businesses. Most of my projects involve strategising, designing and building websites using Figma and Webflow.”
Advice for other students
Connor’s advice for other students is simple: don’t be afraid to pave your own way.
“Don’t let university just happen to you – take ownership of what you’d like to get out of it. Take risks and explore a lot of different potential ideas.”
He is speaking from experience, and says he found that AUT highly encouraged students’ curiosity and interest in exploring different ideas.
“As part of my design degree, I took a Digital Fabrication minor, which involved 3D printing and laser cutting, and then changed my mind part way through and took a Design Thinking minor, which ended up being a better decision for me as it was more in line with my goals and interests. But the important thing is that I explored multiple possibilities. AUT, in my experience, was supportive of this attitude.”
