We are UHB: Shivani Parmar, Graphic Designer

I studied graphic communication and illustration at Loughborough University and, after graduating, briefly worked at Birmingham Children's Hospital, and then later joined UHB. I've been here for five and a half years as a graphic designer, and I love it. I've always been a creative person, so being able to use those skills and talent in a way which helps patients and staff is really motivating and satisfying.

I didn’t realise when I was at university that a career in graphic design in the NHS existed but, after doing research and finding out that there are these jobs available, I thought it was a fantastic opportunity for me. I'd like to think I'm a caring person, too, so it was a great fit.

A typical day for me involves getting an understanding of what a client wants to achieve and then creating something to help them do that. It involves a lot of organisation skills, attention to detail and design solutions. It's amazing to do a wide variety of jobs across the Trust, because we get to work with such a wide range of people. It could be putting together vital patient information leaflets and charts, which aren't necessarily that creative, but they're so important. Then on other days you can be doing the more creative stuff, like designing banners, and posters which are displayed around our hospitals, as well as the city, on billboards,at bus stops and train stations. It's always nice to hear when the clients are really pleased and grateful for what you've designed for them. So, whether that be conference posters or working with the communications team on their many pieces of work, you feel proud seeing a design project through, from an idea to it being printed and out there on display for everyone. People have always told me to have more confidence in myself and my skills and I think I've got a lot better at that over time.

The challenging part of the job is meeting deadlines. You obviously want to make sure you get everything done in time, so you have to juggle things and make sure a project has been through the right process. It usually involves a lot of problem solving as well, because with certain projects, you need to make sure they are safe for patients.

So many people outside of work who, when I tell them I'm a graphic designer for the NHS, ask, ‘what do you do?’ I’ve been asked that question so many times! There is just such a big amount of work that we do that people don't realise. I designed the UHB’s Kind, Connected and Bold values logo, and that was so nice because you see it everywhere, and on most Trust documents and signage; that design is seen by thousands of people every day. In the future, it would be nice to get a bit more involved in wellbeing and sustainability projects as those things really matter to me.

My team and wider colleagues are fantastic to work with. We even took part in a charity climb up Mount Snowdon together, raising money for UHB Charity. It’s nice to wake up to a job where you enjoy spending time with the people you work with. I love meeting people on the design journey of a project, too, building relationships with them and then being able to use my skills to come up with a solution.