About the designer

Toby at Animal Logic. Courtesy: Powerhouse Museum.

"I really like a lot of Dutch design from the 50s, 60s and 70s, I?ve got a lot of Dutch design books, and I think that their design is really beautiful, really simple. It?s quite timeless.

I like watching films and watching the titles come up? it could be even sound? I could listen to a cool CD and get an idea, it doesn?t have to be visual."

Toby is a visual effects designer. He designs moving graphics for film and television at Animal Logic. He has designed graphics for major films including The Matrix Reloaded. Toby studied fine arts and digital media design at university and he has worked in many different areas of graphic design, web site design and visual effects design. His favourite part about designing is the process of making his ideas come to life on screen at the cinema or on TV.

Toby heads to a school formal at age 16. Courtesy: Toby Grime.

Toby's advice if you are interested in a creative or design career?

"Learn how to draw. Just sketch, do things, come up with ideas. Always be visually aware of the world. Go out and take photos but don't have an idea or a reason, just go and do something. Go shoot some video of something that interests you. Just be creative all the time.

Work out what part of design or visual design you like. Maybe it's watching action blockbusters, maybe it's playing games on Playstation, maybe you like the interface design on 3D characters. Work out what it is you like the most and maybe explore companies that do that stuff or universities you have to attend to do that stuff or anything you can do on the side outside of school that will put you one step closer. Obviously it's better to start with something you really enjoy.

Just try and find an interest that genuinely interests you. Your parents might think it's just games but you've got to look at the games industry as worth billions and billions of dollars ? it's massive ? and there's huge creative exposure to be had in there for character animation and game narrative and game play and 3D modelling and stuff. There's an enormous amount of creative work to be done there. Never get put off by someone who says that's just silly or childish cause behind that thing is a huge team of experienced people who have done this stuff for years. I guess just look at what interests you."