How designer Kelly Lim brings Fashion Journal’s print magazine to life
image via @kelljaide/INSTAGRAM
as told to daisy henry
“Make the work you want to be doing and trust that eventually, the people who want to work with you will find you.”
Have you ever stalked someone on LinkedIn and wondered how on earth they managed to land that wildly impressive job? While the internet and social media might have us believe that our ideal job is a mere pipe dream, the individuals who have these jobs were, believe it or not, in the same position once, fantasising over someone else’s seemingly unattainable job.
But behind the awe-inspiring titles and the fancy work events lies a heck of a lot of hard work. So what lessons have been learnt and what skills have proved invaluable in getting them from daydreaming about success to actually being at the top of their industry?
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Welcome to How I Got Here, where we talk to people who are killing it in their respective fields about how they landed their awe-inspiring jobs, exploring the peaks and pits, the failures and the wins, and most importantly, the knowledge, advice and practical tips they’ve gleaned along the way. For this instalment, we hear from freelance designer, Kelly Lim.
Whether you’re immersed in the design world or not, if you’re a fan of Fashion Journal (FJ), there’s a high chance you know Kelly’s work. Ever since the print magazine returned last year (after a brief hiatus during Covid), Kelly’s been the creative visionary tasked with translating each and every shoot, article and collage into the physical magazine you hold today.
As FJ’s Assistant Editor, I often get the privilege of watching Kelly work in real time on our print deadline. One minute, she’s meticulously type-setting an article, the next, she’s writing in cursive directly onto a sheet of toilet paper. “I’ve always loved the idea of making and designing something tangible,” she explains. “It feels real and having something we can touch and hold with our own hands is so important.”
Whether she’s playing with a shoot layout or hand-lettering a title, Kelly’s design process is largely about following her intuition over one specific approach. “I don’t actually use a mood board, a lot of my process is very intuitive and my inspiration mostly comes from the content in the magazine.” After a debrief with FJ’s editorial team, Kelly often pulls key words, phrases, colours and other inspiration from the content to shape the final layout.
In an increasingly digitised world where print has become a rare commodity, opportunities for young designers can be few and far in between. And Kelly’s realistic about what it takes to step out on your own. “It’s been a slow incline up until now,” she tells me. “It hasn’t been easy… but I feel like I’m living a creative, fulfilling life on my terms.”
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Fashion Journal: Hey Kelly! Run us through what you do, and what you’d say is your job title?
Kelly: I’m a freelance designer and creative. I specialise in publication design and image making. And I’m the designer for FJ’s print magazine!
Did you have an idea of your dream job growing up?
I think I always knew I’d do something creative. I remember as a kid waking up every weekend and wanting to make something new from this arts and crafts book I had. My parents would put me in various art classes every school holidays, where I learnt clay, jewellery making mosaic and more. To have been exposed to the art of making and nurtured my creativity from a young age is something I’m endlessly grateful for.
There was a moment where I thought I wanted to be a dancer and I went to a specialist arts school for ballet. From music theatre to visual arts to dance, I was always surrounded by extremely talented kids. Dance was another way for me to express creativity and I still find movement and the body such a beautiful art form. However that dream did come to an end when I graduated high school. The pressure and intensity that came with dancing left me feeling extremely burnt out and I really needed a reset.
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Take us back to when you were first starting out. Did you start as a junior and climb the ranks?
I applied to RMIT’s Bachelor of Communication Design course with no prior design experience or knowledge. I knew I wanted to move interstate and to do something creative that wasn’t traditional art. I thought the course would allow me to gain new skills and continue to explore different creative avenues. For the application, I remember downloading a free trial of Photoshop for the first time, having never used it before. I didn’t think I’d get accepted, so when I did, I jumped at the chance and moved from my hometown of Perth to Melbourne.
I went into the course not knowing exactly what I wanted to get out of it. It felt very intimidating to be doing something I had no experience in. But being in first year uni, in a new city, surrounded by new people, was really exciting. I really had to push myself out of my comfort zone and just soak it all up. And I think RMIT really gave me the freedom to explore creative ideas and concepts.
I was able to make anything I wanted. At times it was amazing and other times it was more hindering. Sometimes when you have too much scope to create, it makes it so much harder. But the course allowed me the flexibility to tailor it to my individual interests, so I took a lot of photography and video making classes as well as publication design.
At the end of the degree I was unsure if I wanted to be a ‘graphic designer’ in the way the course set you up to be. Coming out of the uncertainty that was the pandemic also felt very scary, so I decided to take a year off, work at a local cafe, travel and just live my life. It one of the best decisions I made.
It was a year later when I decided to give freelance work a go. I was adamant on not submitting myself to the nine-to-five grind that most people fall into. I liked having the freedom to pursue all my creative interests. Not having to work for anyone is the dream and I love being my own boss. It’s been a slow incline up until now. It hasn’t been easy and I still work hospitality on the side but I feel like I’m living a creative, fulfilling life on my terms.
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What first drew you to print and how exactly did you get your foot in the door?
I took a book making and publication class in my final year of uni and that really set me on this path of print and publication design. I’ve always loved the idea of making and designing something tangible. It feels real and having something we can touch and hold with our own hands is so important, especially in an ever-growing, digital world. We need the physicality that you just don’t get from digital media.
It definitely feels like a lot of my opportunities were a right place, right time situation. But I’ve actually found a lot of work through Instagram and constantly seeking out opportunities where I can, and if I can’t, creating the opportunities myself.
Run us through the process of designing FJ’s print magazine. Where do you start?
I usually get a full rundown of the content that’ll be in the issue. From there I read the features, look at shoots and start building a world of how things could potentially look like. I don’t actually use a mood board, a lot of my process is very intuitive and my inspiration mostly comes from the content in the magazine.
Bouncing ideas with the team and hearing what they have envisioned for certain pieces or shoots is really helpful. It’s then up to me to figure out how I can visualise things on the page. I always take key words, phrases or pull colours and inspiration from the images to inform the design.
I often find it tricky to explain my exact process, it’s a lot of doing and not really thinking, to be honest. I play around with a lot of options until something sticks. I can come up with so many variations of layouts and often, the first initial option will be the one we end up going with, which just speaks to following that first instinct and intuition.
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How has the FJ mag evolved from our comeback issue last year, compared to the issue that just came out?
It’s evolved a lot, even with only just four issues since the comeback. I know how things work now, so it does feel easier to design. I feel a lot more comfortable and confident with the sense of the overall direction, so the mag feels more cohesive, making it visually a lot stronger.
I try not to have regrets, but I do look back on the first issue and question some of the design choices I made. However, I had so much freedom to experiment, so it was really exciting to be building and creating something essentially brand new. Giulia and the team were so open to my ideas and having that creative freedom is quite rare in this industry.
Now we’ve figured out what we like and don’t like in terms of style and layouts, it’s just about building upon previous issues, which is equally just as exciting. I love challenging myself to push the boundaries further with each issue, while also retaining the visual voice we’ve built so far.
What is your favourite part about designing a print magazine?
My favourite part about designing for print publications is bringing other people’s stories and ideas to life, through a design or layout. It feels special to have something in print and I love being a part of that process for people. Seeing how they react to having their photos, writing or art in a physical form shows just how meaningful it can be. I find it really rewarding and I think it might be one of my favourite parts about being a designer.
Being able to take a piece of writing and give it a whole new perspective or transform a photoshoot into something more than the photos itself, design can be a powerful tool for storytelling. In our latest issue, Can You Spare a Square? was an example where I was tasked with taking a photoshoot and pieces of writing and fleshing it out over several pages.
After throwing around ideas with the team I stumbled onto this idea which gave it a new sense of visual direction and through layout, my trusty scanner and lots of toilet paper, it ended up becoming this fully developed anthology journey, making it one of my favourite pieces in the issue.
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What challenges have you faced getting to where you are now?
I think financially, freelancing can be really tough, especially when first starting out, and it’s something I’m always navigating. I’m very aware of taking on work that doesn’t align with my values but I also acknowledge the privilege to be able to choose what sort of work I say yes to.
I wish every job could be something I enjoy doing, but often I’m doing half and half, plus working at a cafe on the side. There’s the work I enjoy and then there’s also the more mindless, just for-the-bag sort of work. It’s about balance.
To be honest, a lot of the time I’m not working, which is a blessing and a curse. I love having the free time to travel and work on my various creative interests, but it’s also mentally taxing when you don’t know how much money will be coming in each month. I’m still finding my feet in this industry and trying to build a career that feels true to me and what I want to be pursuing, but also one that’s sustainable in this economy.
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What would surprise people about your work?
In terms of FJ’s print mag, I think people would be surprised to know how quick of a turnaround it is! I usually have just over a week to design the whole magazine. It feels like some sort of magic trick the way it all just falls into place at the end.
What advice would you give to someone who wants a career like yours?
Social media can be your friend and I’m always seeking out and following small, independent magazines and publications on Instagram, in case they ever need a designer. I think being open to any opportunity, especially when you’re starting out is huge. Even if the work doesn’t align, saying yes could place you one step closer to your dream role.
At the same time, I think it’s really important to keep creating fulfilling work for yourself. If you can’t find it in paid work, volunteer, do things for free, reach out to people and create your own opportunities. Make the work you want to be doing and trust that eventually, the people who want to work with you will find you. Not being afraid to experiment and explore new and various outlets for your creativity can help inform and influence you, not just as a designer but as a person.
Find more from Kelly here.
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