Ellen Maynard-Smith

Background

About Ellen Maynard-Smith

Since a young age, I have always loved all things crafty. My room was always in chaos with my latest creation. Art was one of my favourite subjects in school (although I had a severe fear of being graded on it). I loved designing any sort of schoolwork or presentations (despite my hate for presenting). I had always found my creative outlet to be more of a hobby and I chose more academic subjects throughout my school career until I came across Media Studies. Media Studies provided the perfect balance between creative and academic which allowed me to ease into the idea that my work could in fact be graded. After a successful school career, I investigated my options for university. I, like many others, was unsure of what we wanted to do with the future that lay ahead, but I knew I wanted further education and a degree. But in what was uncertain. Through this process, I decided to delve deeper by studying Media Production at the University of Lincoln. This course felt well suited containing the creative practical elements that I enjoyed, alongside extensive written assessment and a lack of exams (since school had since traumatised me from that kind of assessment). University was spent trying to piece together what I wanted to do with my life. By my second year, I had realised I have a passion for design and spent the year integrating design aspects into my work until I finally specialised in design in my final year. After graduating in 2019, I enrolled on an Interior Design Course with the Interior Design Institute which I completed during the 2020 lockdowns. This allowed me to improve my knowledge of the fundamentals of design and more complex theories. This led to spending a few years trying to figure out what area of design I wanted to go into and how on earth I was going to step into it. During this process, I was gaining other skills through my employment such as leadership skills and some much-needed confidence! With some motivation and a tiny bit of stress, an opportunity to become a Website Designer presented itself. After a successful interview process, I have now started my new career as a Website Designer! My career has allowed me to expand and draw on my creativity while proving challenges and the opportunity to problem solve and learn throughout the process. A beautiful site should be easy to navigate and have a strong brand identity. I use my skills as a designer alongside my digital marketing and knowledge and my love of all things design to ensure my sites stand out in today's digital world! Full portfolio coming soon!