From monks singing in Italy to designing the University of Reading’s winning centenary logo – Reading alumna and Head of Creative and Print Services, Hannah Milway, speaks to CONNECTED about her most memorable moments and passion for all things design and typography.
Hannah has had creative flair for as long as she can remember. She recalled: “I’d get in trouble at school for drawing pictures when I should have been practising my times tables.” Following primary school, Hannah decided to pursue her passion and studied history, art and film studies at college.
It was there that Hannah found love and met her now-husband. She said: “We both studied history and art, and we ended up having our first date in a bar in Moscow during a history trip to Russia.”
After a year of dating, the time came to apply for university. “We had to decide whether to end it, try a long-distance relationship or go to university together. We both chose Reading,” Hannah shared. “And the rest is history.”
Learning from the experts
Both Hannah and her husband studied typography and graphic communication at Reading, with the knowledge, skills and experiences she gained through her course setting her up for a career in design.
She said: “The department had a great reputation, the campus was idyllic and the town had a good night life and fantastic connections. It was the perfect choice for us.
“The course was fascinating and the lecturers were all experts in their fields or practising designers. The quality of teaching and support we received was second to none – if you showed an interest in something then they would take the time to guide and support you even if it was outside of teaching hours.
“We were also encouraged to work with our peers in the studios and learnt to give and receive feedback on our work. This was an invaluable experience and is something that I still do in my role today.”
Memorable moments
As well as enjoying her course, Hannah embraced all the other aspects of student life – from socialising with friends to joining the Canoe Club. However, two of her most memorable moments were from her summer placement and on a trip to Italy.
She explained: “I spent three months working on the University’s first ever branding project during my summer placement. This involved developing templates, testing colours, writing up guidelines and designing early materials for colleagues in the new brand.
“The project enabled me to put the skills I had learnt on my course into action. I still use a lot of these skills to inform my design and conversations with clients today.”
As part of their master’s degree, Hannah and her husband also spent a week in Italy visiting both Rome and Florence.
She recalled: “We spent all day walking around the sites with our sketchbooks examining inscriptions and learning how these influenced typeface design. But the standout memory for me was walking up to the basilica of San Miniato al Monte.
“We arrived just as some monks started to sing a chorus inside. It was a truly magical moment that will stay with me for the rest of my life.”
After experiencing such magical moments as students, Hannah and her husband decided to return to Italy with their children this summer.
“We were so excited to take our children with us this time. We spent our days taking in all the big sights and sought out some of the places that we visited as students, including returning to the beautiful basilica where we heard the monks singing all those years ago.
“It was a fantastic trip. I came home with stacks of photos – lots of which are of inscriptions!
“It turns out that even on holiday typography is never far from my mind.”
Once Reading, always Reading
Following four years of studying together, Hannah and her husband both graduated with First Class degrees and got married the week after their graduation. After building up good relationships with the staff at Reading, Hannah successfully applied for a role as a designer. Three years later she became a senior designer, and last year she took up the position of Head of Creative and Print Services.
She explained: “As a team we are responsible for the University’s design and print collateral. We deliver everything from business cards and lanyards, to campus dressing, promotional films and materials for big events.
“There’s a creative team made up of six designers, a photographer and a videographer, and we have a production team in our workshop at Earley Gate. I work across both teams – supporting our staff with projects and developing our systems and processes to keep the service running smoothly. This involves a lot of relationship building and troubleshooting problems.
“I also work on design projects, just not as many as I used to!”
Hannah’s career highlights include creating bespoke gifts for the Vice-Chancellor to present to VIPs, and designing the University’s first prospectus in-house. However, her biggest highlight has been working with junior designers. She said:
“My creative journey has come full circle. Being able to mentor junior team members – who were just like me when I graduated – and watch them develop into fully-fledged designers both at Reading and beyond is incredibly rewarding.”
Another special project for Hannah was working on the University’s 100th anniversary logo, with her design being chosen as the winner.
She said: “I feel proud and happy. Not just because my design will be used to celebrate the centenary of my university, but also because it was the first creative project that I led with my team in my new role.
“We had several sessions together researching, brainstorming and sketching before everybody went away to develop their ideas. Six designs were put forward for development before the final three were selected for the vote. I’ll let you into a secret – two of my designs made it through to the final vote and I voted for the one that didn’t win!”
Doing it properly
It is clear from her experiences and career that Hannah is passionate about inspiring the next generation of designers.
Her advice to anyone thinking about embarking on a career in design is simple:
“I’ve always said that if you are going to do something, you should do it properly. Get stuck in, take opportunities and do your best.
“Try to get some work experience alongside your course. Reading has been running a Real Jobs scheme for a number of years now, where students get the opportunity to work on live design projects for local clients.
“These types of projects help you learn a lot, from building relationships with clients and working to real deadlines, to responding to feedback, problem-solving and preparing files for press. This experience will also help you stand out when you apply for jobs.”
Find out about the Department of Typography’s Real Jobs scheme, or discover more about the University’s centenary.
