Anna Dill Celebrates 15 Years In Graphic Design
[Written by Nadia Arandjelovic]
As the sun sets on another day of innovation and design at SJD World, we take a moment to celebrate the journey and achievements of award winning, Bermudian graphic designer, Anna Dill [formally Terceira]. Her 15-year tenure in the local industry, 14 of which have been spent cultivating the creative landscape of SJD World alongside founder Stephan Johnstone, is not only a professional milestone but also a testament to her talent and resilience as a woman in design.
The Shift from Art History to Graphic Design
Anna’s career in graphic design almost didn’t happen. Shortly after graduating high school, she faced a crossroads. Her bags were nearly packed for university in Canada where she was slated to study art history, when she had a sudden change of heart and decided to instead study art and design at the Bermuda College. “Two months before I was supposed to leave for university, I had a realisation that I was not excited to go and study art history in a cold country. So I created a PowerPoint presentation of all of my future options to show my parents that I’m still invested in my future, but Canada wasn’t the path I wanted to take. With full support from my parents, I enrolled in Bermuda College and it was one of the best decisions I’ve ever made.”
Thanks to two influential teachers; Dr Edwin Smith and Ms Louisa Flannery, Anna was able to steer her confused curiosity into a laser-focused ambition for graphic design. This decision brought her to Miami International University of Art and Design, where the melting pot of culture and diversity expanded her horizons and refined her skill set. For Anna, there was no looking back.
Photo courtesy of Meredith Andrews
The SJD World Partnership
Before returning to Bermuda full-time in 2009, Trevor Johnstone connected her with his brother, Stephan Johnstone, the founder of SJD World. “After moving back to the Island, I was freelancing and had clients that would come to me for design work and go to Stephan for website work. He was working from his basement, and I was living and working on my boat, we shared a lot of the same clients and quickly learned that we are stronger as a team. Our styles are very different and most of our clients preferred design options that we collaborated on.”
In 2014, SJD World moved from the basement and boat to an office on 15 Front Street. Stephan can’t help but beam with pride when speaking of their working relationship over the last decade and a half. “We’re like yin and yang in our creative process. We balance each other out, and it works perfectly not just for us but for our clients too,” he said.
The Inspiration and the Future
Reflecting on her career so far, Anna recognises the rarity of their office environment — one that fosters growth, respect, and, importantly, happiness. “Graphic design, like many creative fields, can be challenging. Most of our work is subjective, so we get a lot of opinions, both good and bad. But at SJD World, we’ve cultivated an environment where our differences are celebrated and become integral to our design process,” she shared.
Anna admitted that she draws inspiration from clients, from their energy and openness to new ideas. While she enjoys any project that allows her and the team to connect with audiences on a deeper, more intimate level, she admitted that she has a particular soft spot for working with non-profits on the Island.
”After all these years I’m really proud that I still love coming to work. I still like working with Stephan – and doing the work we do for our clients. Not a lot of people can say that, but I think we’ve worked extremely well together. We’re honest about our needs, and we really want the best for each other as individuals and for the company, and I think that is what I’m proud of, that we’ve created this environment for SJD World.”
While the recent launch of the company’s chatbot service is keeping the team busy, Anna is still excited about all the different realms where she can inject creativity not just on behalf of clients but on personal projects as well. “It’s about pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and reimagining the canvas of our creativity,” she said. “I’m excited about what the future holds as graphic design continues to grow and evolve.”
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