Illustrator extraordinaire Jean Jullien on this year's It's Nice That Graduates

It was something of an honour to have illustrator Jean Jullien in the studio to help judge this year’s It’s Nice That Graduates. Not only is he a really nice guy, but he’s also one of our favourite artists who – in our eyes – can do no wrong. His style is effortless and full of humour, grinning at our modern world through a wry squint – an ability that most of the great illustrators through time have nearly all had in common. Another thing we can all learn from Jean is that he works harder than most people we know and rarely says no to a project, making him in-demand and always on everyone’s radar. Here he is on what he learnt from helping us judge the It’s Nice That Graduates 2014.

What impressed you about the entries you judged this year?

Some serious skills.

What were you looking for?

Originality, something that makes a difference, something that makes you go “wow, that’s new, and good!”

What did you see too much of?

#MemphisGroup

What are the most common mistakes young designers or illustrators make when trying to sell themselves?

Trying to blend in by using existing styles or to make their portfolio look generic in order to make it credible. Or, on the contrary, trying to be quirky and different for the sake of it. That leads to horribly unwelcoming websites with a nightmare of a navigation system. Easy to chase clients away with that.

What would be your main advice for Graduates about to enter the world after University?

Free gigs: never do it, unless it’s for a good cause.

Supported by Represent

We are very pleased that The It’s Nice That Graduates 2014 will once again be supported by Represent Recruitment. The graphic design recruitment specialists have developed a peerless reputation working with designers of all levels and matching them up with the right positions in some of the top agencies around. Represent’s support has helped us grow the Graduate scheme over recent years and we are thrilled they have partnered with us again in 2014.

www.represent.uk.com