Surface Designer

Jenny Ringland

It started out as a love for all things coloured and textured, now Aimee Grant usesher creative flair as a surface designer forPorter’s Paints.

Grant, 23, studied for a degree in fine arts at the College of Fine Arts before enrolling at the International School of Colour and Design.

“After COFA I was looking for something different and a bit of a change,” Grant says.

“I enjoy being an artist but I wanted to specialise in something. I love patterns and Irealised that there are other things out there apart from painting.”

In her first year at ISCD, Grant completed a Certificate IV in colour and design.

“This offered basic colour and design theory. It was refreshing to be taken back to the basics. I loved the in-depth study of colour. It trained your eye to read and create colour.”

In her second year she completed a diploma in creative art (surface design).

“Surface design is about being a designer who creates patterns and motifs on paper, print, fabric and ceramics. Anything with a texture is created by a surface designer,” she says.

Grant enjoyed the variety at ISCD.

“Each design brief was different and industry-focused. It led me to be more versatile,” she says.

It was through ISCD that Grant landed her role as Porter’s Paints’ surface designer. In partnership with the college, the paint company ran a competition to create a wallpaper design, the winner to have their design produced and receive copyright royalties.

“I won the competition and from there I got to know the company,” Grant says.

“I approached them and asked, `Do you need an in-house designer?’ as they didn’t have one. They got back to me and said we need a designer and someone who can look after production and quality control, and here I am.”

Grant worked at different paint stores for three months to gain colour matching knowledge, an invaluable experience, she says.

“The knowledge I gained, you couldn’t get it any other way,” she says.

“The technical stuff, it’s not something you learn in a classroom.”

After almost a year in the role Grant is still learning and is challenged every day.

“I spend a lot of time at the factory, meeting with the printer on production and print quality. I help colour match ink, I assist on atechnical level, I make sure the quality of the product is up to scratch,” she says.

And the joy of seeing a project through from start to finish is a highlight for her.

“The Catherine Martin range is the latest Iworked on,” she says. “Others have been smaller architect firms and design studios.”

“My main love is designing so it’s great to work with these people. My goal for this year is to design something of my own for Porter’s.”
She says the challenge is part of the fun.

“Having the ability to juggle everything is something I have learned since I started last year. I have honed my colour matching skills and learned to match paint and paper and I’m learning about production,” she says.

As to the future, Grant says she’s right where she wants to be.