A Creative Booster: Amanda Zakis on Art Direction & Digital Storytelling

Hi Amanda! who are you and what do you do? 

I’m an Australian creative based in Stockholm, with an extensive background in the fashion industry. I’m currently working as a Production Assistant at H&M Studios, while developing my experience in Art Direction.

You recently took "Art Direction & Digital Design". What made you choose this course? 

I have been dabbling in Art Direction for years and wanted a more structured understanding of the creative process. The Digital Storytelling aspect was a big draw as I wanted to expand how I think about creative concepts beyond traditional formats and learn how to transition them into a digital space.

What did you take away from the course?

One of my biggest takeaways was seeing just how differently people approach Art Direction. There’s no single formula for creativity, which I love! It was interesting to see how our course leader, broke down a brief and built an idea from initial concept through to execution. It made me rethink and develop my own creative process.

What did you find the most fun or valuable during the course? 

I gained a lot from the AI module of the course. As it’s still a relatively new tool within the creative industry, I loved exploring how it can be used not only to create final assets, but also to visualise and communicate ideas during pre-production. It really opened up my thinking about what is creatively possible.

Have you been able to apply what you learned? 

I’m quite fresh from completing the course and currently at the stage of putting what I learned into practice. This autumn, I’ll be working on practice briefs with mentoring colleagues at H&M, where I plan to apply the creative process I learned from the course to develop concepts that could work successfully within the H&M Studios.

What does a typical day at work look like for you?

As a Production Assistant, our role is to support the studio by making sure everything is ready to shoot and taking care of items post-production. Every day is a little different, from preparing clothing and maintaining the wardrobes to assisting stylists in the studio.

What’s the best part of your job?

I love being in the studio. It’s where the magic happens! Although my current role isn’t a creative one, I’m lucky to work alongside incredibly talented photographers, models, makeup artists, hair stylists, stylists, digi techs and, of course, Art Directors.

For me, watching the Art Directors work is especially inspiring. I love asking about their processes, seeing how they approach a brief and then watching their vision come to life on set. Being surrounded by that creativity has definitely encouraged me to pursue Art Direction further.

And the challenges?

The biggest challenge at the moment is finding opportunities to build hands-on Art Direction experience. I’m trying to create those opportunities for myself through practice briefs and side projects, including some work in the music industry where I’m developing concepts for album artwork and film. It’s also a great excuse to experiment outside of fashion.

Where do you find inspiration?

I’m heavily inspired by subcultures, film, music and art. Even though fashion is my main focus, I love blurring the lines between different creative worlds. I’m particularly drawn to the ’70s rock scene, but I also take a lot of inspiration from ’90s and 2000s film.

I think looking outside your immediate field is often where the most interesting ideas come from. Taking references from somewhere unexpected and translating them into fashion can create something that feels much more individual.

Do you have a career tip you’d like to share?

I’m still very much building my own career, but my biggest tip would be to stay curious. Ask questions, talk to people whose work interests you and let them know you want to learn. I’ve found that people are often incredibly generous with their knowledge when you show genuine interest in what they do.

What would you say to someone considering taking this course?

I think it’s perfect for someone who has already dabbled in Art Direction but wants a clearer understanding of the processes behind it and how to apply them to their own creative work. It’s a creative booster. You come away with new tools, new perspectives and lots of ideas you want to try out.