Editorial design became a vocation as a fresher at university when a visiting Art Director spieled on the wonder of publishing. This was 2009. The recession shortly made her team redundant.

Publishing is a strongly competitive field. Being female, the odds of getting design work are statistically slim. Cold-calling every title I could got me experience with a women’s glossy. Evenings, I designed a teen magazine.

My last £20 of student loan was spent on a book of editorial design. Graduating, a cycling title gave me a proper job.

The years of extra effort were worth it – I recouped that £20.

Grace Neal | Designer, Singletrack Magazine