About me
Hi, I'm Jennie Leung, a graphic designer from Portsmouth, Hampshire, with a love for combining graphic design and digital illustration, and a dream to help our natural world and its inhabitants through graphic design.
I graduated from the University of Portsmouth in July 2024 with a First Class Honours degree in Graphic Design. During my time at university I'm honoured to have been awarded a commendation for my design work from Alive With Ideas, to have been Highly Commended in the Royal Society of Arts Student Design Awards, to have won the South West Design + Digital Student Awards in the Graphic Design category, to have received the Visual Culture award from the Uniersity of Portsmouth for my dissertation, and to have been nominated for the Anjool Maldé Young Innovator of the Year award.
I'm also proud to have achieved an Adobe Certified Professional accreditation in Visual Design, to have been selected as my graduation's Student Speaker (Orator), to have represented my cohort as a Student Voice representative, and to have successfully completed a one year Industrial Placement as a graphic and digital designer at the Science and Technology Facilities Council.
I'm currently working as a Graphic Designer for Havant Borough Council. During my design career I've also enjoyed working with clients such as SSE Energy Services (now OVO), Unite the Union, the Government Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, The Met Office, the UK Atomic Energy Authority, Portsmouth City Council, and The Portsmouth Grammar School.
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I aim to make a positive difference through design, with a focus on helping animals and the environment. If you're looking for a freelance designer to help these worthy causes, please take a look at my portfolio and reach out if you think I could be a good fit for your project.
Education
2020-2024
BA (Hons) Graphic Design
University of Portsmouth
First Class Honours
Overview
Throughout my time at the University of Portsmouth I gained valuable experience in a range of graphic design fields, including animation / motion design, branding and identity design, editorial design, promotional design, and user experience / user interface design. I've included some of the highlights from my degree below, and each can be viewed on my portfolio for you to explore further.
Ode to gold
For my major project in graphic design, I chose to create a book in the style of traditional East Asian ink wash painting about the ancient treasure of fancy goldfish, detailing their history, development, symbolism, and cultural significance in their countries of origin of China and Japan. Ode to gold was chosen as a finalist in the South West Design + Digital Student Awards, and am I looking forward to exhibiting it at both the University of Portsmouth Graduate Showcase and the D&AD New Blood Festival.
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Portsmouth Grammar School Wildlife Club
I worked with a local school to produce an exciting visual identity, merchandise, and resources for their wildlife club, aiming to get pupils involved and enthusiastic about local wildlife, and encourage its protection.
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Bonsai buddies
My project Bonsai buddies was shortlisted for the Royal Society of Arts - Student Design Awards competition, and answers the Made Natural brief set by Kew Gardens, which asks how trees can be used to address a societal or environmental problem.
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Connecting Homes for Health
I was proud to have been awarded a commendation from the Alive With Ideas design agency for my animation promoting National Enery Action's Connecting Homes for Health scheme, which fits or upgrades central heating systems for free in the homes of vulnerable people experiencing fuel poverty.
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Big Fish Small Bowl
For my ethical design project, I created a campaign to raise awareness about the needs and care requirements of the often overlooked pet goldfish, designed to improve pet fish welfare through responsible pet ownership and enhance the overall fishkeeping experience for all involved.
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2023-2024
Adobe Certified Professional
in Visual Design
Awards and honours
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I'm thankful to have received the following awards and honours during my graphic design career and education.
Alive With Ideas
I received a commendation from the design agency Alive With Ideas for the 2022 animation I created for National Energy Action's Connecting Homes for Health charity scheme, helping vulnerable people out of fuel poverty.
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Visual Culture
I received the Visual Culture award from the University of Portsmouth for receiving the highest mark in the school for my dissertation "An exploration of how representations of domesticated farm animals in UK commercial advertisements and animal rights campaigns affect animal oppression by humans."
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Royal Society of Arts
I was Highly Commended in the Royal Society of Arts Student Design Awards for my project "Bonsai buddies", which answers the 2024 Made Natural brief, asking how trees can be used to strengthen communities and protect the environment.
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Graduation Student Speaker
I was chosen to be the Student Speaker (Orator) at my graduation ceremony, representing students from the University of Portsmouth School of Art, Design and Performance, and the School of Creative Technologies.
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South West Design + Digital
My university Major Project "Ode to gold" won the 2024 South West Design + Digital Student Awards in the Graphic Design category. "Ode to gold" is a book exploring the history, development, symbolism, and cultural significance of fancy goldfish in China and Japan.
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Anjool Maldé Young Innovator of the Year
I was nominated for the Anjool Maldé Young Innovator of the Year Award for my project "Bonsai buddies", which answers the 2024 Made Natural brief, asking how trees can be used to strengthen communities and protect the environment.
I'm proud to have designed for these excellent organisations
