Leyya Sattar: Design and Brand Manager
Leyya Sattar is the Design and Brand Manager at Make Your Words Work™, a graphic design co-operative based in London. Leyya shares her journey from education to employment as a designer, the difficulties she faced and how things worked out in the end. Although everybody’s experience is different, Leyya demonstrates a great example of someone simply choosing the subjects that she enjoyed at each stage of her education and succeeding.
Leyya has always had a love for graphic design, she explains how she was “the nerd who would stay late at school (got locked in a few times!)”. I think we all know the type, one of those that practically live in the art room. After getting full marks at school, it came to deciding what to study at college, a time where you suddenly have choices, and just a few subjects to choose from potentially many that you really like.
“My mum told me to do what I enjoyed… (much to the dismay of my Grandad who would have preferred me to do maths...science..law!!)”
Leyya chose to study graphics at college, citing an unusual source of inspiration;
“one of the major factors also was my TV hero Wilhemina Slater from Ugly Betty... I remember watching it in school and she had this amazing job in NY and I knew that's what I wanted to do! So then after college I did my foundation in Manchester… slowly moving away from my home town of Rochdale... with the goal of going to University in London and then eventually New York”
Foundation Degree finished, Leyya had her sights set on university in London. After applying to Central Saint Martin’s, having a great interview and being offered a conditional place, Leyya received her results. Despite getting A’s and a distinction, Leyya was disappointed to find she did not get in. But Leyya always says that things happen for a reason.
“During my foundation year, when I was travelling back and forth to London for interviews, my friend was studying at London Met, I found out the design school was right in the heart of London and a short walk away from the creative community in Shoreditch... so I applied and got in!”
During a three year degree, right in the heart of London, Leyya hoped to really get involved with the arts community as soon as possible, but due to family circumstances she struggled to do work outside of the course. Almost anybody would say that the best thing to do to get ahead at uni is to get involved outside, but what do you do if this just isn’t possible? Leyya explains life after university and how she overcame this.
“I wish I had made the most of doing internships/getting experience when I was at uni...but I had too much going on in my personal life. But what doesn’t kill you, definitely makes you stronger”
“After I left Uni I worked in retail for a year or so as Senior Supervisor but constantly applying for these internships and jobs everywhere and anywhere. Sending my portfolio, CV out to 100's of people, no one got back to me. SO RUDE! But any networking chance I got, or any time I spoke to anyone - I would tell them that I had graduated a year ago and was looking to get in the creative industry - and if they knew of anyone... a year after graduating I met someone, who was to be my fairy godmother! I told her of my plight... and she mentioned a friend who was looking for an assistant."
"I jumped at the chance! And went above and beyond my job role to show Emma what I could do and was promoted within 6 weeks!”
"Now I’m involved in several things such as #AHTRW and @WeFlockNY, getting to travel all over the world. It's been an incredible journey and we are only just getting started. The best part of working for a start-up (now in its 3rd year of business) the employer cares about you and their business and invests the time in you personally to watch you grow! You get given responsibility and trust and complete autonomy over what you want to do in the business. I get to work all over the world, from home, wherever I want. I have the freedom to work whatever hours I want because my boss cares about productivity and results, and getting the shit I need to get done – done not whether I am in the office 9-5! As a creative, I have my good productive days, but then days where I am not feeling as creative...as productive! The business model MYWW revolves around allows me to reach my potential - e.g on a not-so productive day the team took the afternoon off and went to see the Digital Revolution exhibiton at the Barbican which refreshed us for the Friday!"
"If you love what you're doing - then do it! College and Uni are the time to experiment and see what you're interests are. You're young, have fun! If I did what my Grandad wanted me to do and did law, maths whatever - I wouldn't have my dream job right now living my dream i.e. having strategy sessions on beach with my Boss sipping cocktails in Dubai last week!
“Everything happens for a reason, and it got me to this position I am in right now!