Hello - there you are! I’m Monica Shaw, a Senior Graphic Designer + Creative with a focus on design for change. I'm working on building human-centered, memorable, brand experiences in the digital and sometimes print world we live in.

Freelancing from sunny Melbourne.

Here’s a bit about my design journey, in third person so far…

  • Formative years

    Monica placed more importance on her school cover pages than the content of her books.

    She began to skateboard at age 12 and was sponsored shortly there after.

    Graduates from high school and travels the globe skateboarding professionaly.

  • Bags Packed

    Inspired by her skateboarding travels and the people she meets, Monica decides to make the move to Melbourne upon returning to Australia.

    She studies Fashion, Screen Print Design and finally lands on Graphic Design. She graduates second in her class despite living in a party share house.

  • 9 to 5

    Monica chooses Melbourne advertising agencies to cut her teeth. She learns how to kern with a creative director sitting behind her pointing at her screen.

    She does this for 5 years.

  • Bounce around

    She realises moving between agencies, and having new mentors, will allow her a broader range of skills and ideas about the design world.

    That she does.

  • Design for Change

    Design is everywhere. She thinks, ‘but why not make it count’…

    Monica takes a leap across to politics as the Senior Graphic Designer for the Australian Union Movement.

    She does this for 5 years.

  • Freelance plunge

    More like a slow, strategtic, traverse backwards into the big design blue.

    She combines her experience of design agencies and in-house design in politics to create a design practice that focuses on design for change.

  • Lately, I’ve worked with

    Arts Centre Melbourne
    Brunswick Music Festival
    Merri-bek City Council
    Australian Unions
    Creative Victoria
    Studio Binocular
    Frank Green
    RYOBI
    TBWA

  • 15 years experience

    Wow, love an even set of digits!

    5 + 5 + 5 = 15 years

    Agencies – 5 years
    In-house – 5 years
    Freelance – 5 years

  • Let’s work together!

    If you made it this far, congratulations on surviving 2023. Let’s work together in 2024!

    Shoot me an email at
    monicashawdesign@gmail.com