“Hey, Designer!” is a small guidebook created as part of an MA dissertation project in Brand Design and Innovation, and it works as an introspective companion to a personal journey as a graphic and brand design student. It traces real experiences from the course, from academic briefs and live projects to visits with studios and companies, and turns them into practical notes for anyone starting out in the creative industries. The guide is openly shaped by a genuine love of lists, planning and organising work; that is why the content is broken down into checklists, prompts and simple frameworks that can be reused and adapted.

The booklet is meant to be a win–win: it helps the author to remember key projects, challenges and turning points from the MA year, and at the same time it gives other emerging designers a glimpse of first steps into industry. It does not claim to be a complete or definitive guide to design practice. Instead, it honestly represents one slice of the design world, the studios, processes and ways of working encountered so far through academic work, critiques and professional visits. “Hey, Designer!” invites readers to treat it as a friendly starting point, to add their own notes, and to continue building their own evolving handbook as they grow in practice.