Dylan Lloyd

Few people get the opportunity to design billboards for one of Aotearoa’s NPC rugby teams – but Dylan Lloyd got to do exactly that on a student internship with the Southland Stags.

The Bachelor of Design (Communication) graduate hadn’t always set his sights on a career as a designer. In fact, he only decided to try Design in Year 12 when he needed to fill a gap in his timetable.

“I was surprised to find it was a great fit for me and my other passions – photography and sports,” he says. “I quickly realised this could be my future career direction. Prior to that, I had no clue what I was going to do after school.”

When Dylan reached the final year of degree study at Otago Polytechnic, he was keen to complete an internship as part of his major project and gain some valuable work experience – so he put out the call on his LinkedIn page.

“I posted some examples of my sports photography and design work, and not long afterwards I was contacted by the marketing manager at the Southland Stags rugby team to offer me a 12-week placement.”

Dylan designed a variety of collateral for the Stags throughout the NPC season, including billboards and posters, stadium and locker room signage, social media tiles and player-related graphics – as well as some photography and video work.

“It was a hugely beneficial experience,” he says. “It was amazing to see my designs in public spaces, especially on huge billboards in Invercargill. My work received great feedback from the public, too, which has given me a lot of confidence and has set me up to succeed as a graduate.” 

Dylan received a fantastic response from his lecturers too, achieving two A+ grades for his final project work.

He says one of the best things about studying Design at OP is that all the lecturers have industry experience.

“They have amazing connections and industry links, and share excellent career advice and opportunities,” he says. “They work really hard to get you the right experience for where you want to go.”

As a wheelchair user, Dylan was particularly impressed with the accessibility support he received from OP staff before and during his studies.

“Like any first year, I was already nervous about starting tertiary study, and I was also unsure what the accessibility would be like for me in this new environment,” he recalls. “My lecturers and the school administrator actually contacted me and met with me before the first semester started to make sure my needs were covered.”

Several helpful adjustments were made, including the removal of heavy weights from doors to ensure Dylan could open and close them easily.

“I’m a pretty independent human being, but it was really nice to know the support was there,” he says.

“The Polytechnic was proactive and asked all the right questions to find out what I needed. If you’re someone with an impairment or disability considering study at OP, they will make contact with you to have a chat, find out more about you and do what’s needed to support you.” 

Dylan also provided valuable accessibility advocacy and advice to OP as well, throughout his studies.

“It was great to have a voice in these conversations, because advocacy is another area I’m really passionate about,” he says.

After graduating with an impressive portfolio and industry experience under his belt, Dylan is focused on continuing to work in the sports space as a designer and photographer.

“I love the way I can combine so many of my interests while also getting the opportunity to meet and work with so many people – teams and sports organisations, the fans and members of the public.”