As the nominations for this years Old Viking of the Year Award roll in, our spotlight is on the nominees from last years awards. We are delighted to speak to Will Taylor, who was nominated in the Business and Industry category. We chat to Will about what he has been up to since leaving Shiplake in 2022 and how he is juggling running his own business, working in motion design and attending Loughborough University! 

Can you share your journey since leaving Shiplake? What key milestones have led you to where you are today?

Since leaving Shiplake in 2022, my journey has been packed with exciting opportunities. One of the main opportunities that stands out was being flown out to Dubai (in February this year) by Adobe to deliver After Effects workshops to five different live audiences.

One of my most pivotal moments was being hired by a motion design studio based in the US (I've been working with them remotely for the last 2 years). Since being there, I've worked on projects for Epic Games (the creators of Fortnite), Coinbase, Chick-fil-A, and even got approached to work on the Paris 2024 Olympics (although that project unfortunately fell through at the last minute). I also got to design and animate some of the visuals for the headline Coachella performance this year - with around 100,000 people in attendance to see it live.

Whilst doing all of this, I've been very focused on building my personal brand and online audience and have managed to amass a combined audience of over 60,000 people so far.

                                                                      Will Taylor with Adobe in Dubai

What was it about the graphic/motion design industry that drew you towards that career?

I've always loved creating, so much so that I started learning the software at age 11. This industry feels like the perfect mixture of problem-solving, creativity, and just making cool work that I'm proud of. It's a good time and I just fundamentally love it.

I've always wanted to give talks too, and to have done that on such a large scale for Adobe in Dubai this year has made me even more excited to keep doing more of that in the future.
 

How do you think your time at Shiplake influenced you to start your own business?  

I started learning this stuff when I joined - at the start of Year 7. One of the key things I hold in high regard about Shiplake is how the teachers allowed me to take my passion for motion design and find ways to incorporate it into my school work, especially in Sixth Form.

The teachers consistently encouraged me to push myself to pursue my passion, and I don't think I'd be where I am today without the environment that Shiplake created for me.

What does the future hold for Will Taylor – any plans, dreams or aspirations?

Whilst my sights are currently set on graduating from university (I'm in my final year), I'd love to work towards becoming a creative director and/or studio owner. I'm learning a lot from working in a studio at the moment, and when I feel it's right I'll take the leap. Apart from that, I'm thoroughly enjoying speaking engagements and educating people about the industry I'm in.

                                                               Delivering After Effects workshops

What advice would you give to someone looking to start their own business or pursue a career in graphic/motion design?

My number one piece of advice is to get really good at saying "no" to the things that you don't 100% want to be doing, and only doing the things you genuinely care about. It’s about getting better at presently listening to your internal radar about how much the things you’re doing actually mean to you... and if anything isn't aligned, pivot. It's so so so important to love the work you do, because when you're starting your own business, you've got no one to hold you accountable. Let your passion do the driving and watch how well that rewards you in the long term.

A massive thank you to Will for this interview - you can check out his work below!

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If you know an Old Viking who deserves to be recognised for their success in business, arts or sport please nominate them for this years awards here. Nominations close in January.