Not Every Designer Starts With a Design Degree.
For Mohit Mohan, design had been part of his life long before he started thinking about it as a career.
A B.Tech graduate, Mohit had always enjoyed drawing. His interest in design began with something as simple as sketching cars. Over time, drawing became a part of his life, along with other creative interests such as playing the guitar and skateboarding.
But choosing design as a career was not always straightforward. After completing Plus Two, Mohit was unsure about what to study. He knew one thing, though: he wanted to do something related to design.
He explored different options and even appeared for entrance exams for NID and B.Arch. However, he did not clear most of them. This left him with another question: should he take a gap year and try again?
He decided not to.
Instead, following his family's suggestion and with the influence of his cousin, he chose B.Tech in Computer Science.
When B.Tech Didn't Feel Right
Mohit joined B.Tech with his cousin, who was two years senior to him.
Although he managed his studies and passed his exams, he quickly realised that engineering was not something he truly enjoyed.
By the first year itself, he knew that B.Tech was not the path he wanted to follow. Still, he continued with the course.
During this time, his interest in design never really disappeared.
Even while studying engineering, he continued drawing and exploring creative interests. He already knew that, whatever happened after graduation, he did not want to completely leave design behind.
“From a young age, I knew that even after graduation, I would never leave design.”
That thought stayed with him throughout his B.Tech journey.
An Introduction to Graphic Design
Before Mohit completed his B.Tech, his cousin had already graduated and started working at HACA.
His cousin was involved with the marketing and sales side of HACA Design School. One day, he introduced Mohit to an online Graphic Design course at HACA.
Mohit was initially skeptical. His experience with online learning during the COVID period had not been very positive, so he was not sure whether an online course would actually work for him.
But he trusted his cousin, and based on that trust, Mohit decided to join HACA Design School.
Learning Design Properly
Mohit joined the three-month Graphic Design course while he was in the third year of his B.Tech.
He already knew how to draw and had a natural interest in art and creativity. But he realised that being able to create something was different from understanding how to design professionally.
He needed to learn how to take an idea and turn it into a proper design. The course helped him understand that process.
During the programme, he learned tools such as Illustrator and Photoshop and started understanding how design principles could actually be applied to professional work.
Mentors such as Saheel, Safwan, and Ashif helped him develop his skills through practical learning and guidance.
For Mohit, the experience was very different from what he had expected from an online course.
“It was an amazing class. I was able to learn properly.”
The course helped him connect the creativity he already had with the structure and skills needed to work as a designer.
More Than Just Learning Software
One of the important parts of Mohit's journey was understanding that design was not simply about knowing software.
He could already draw. He had been interested in art from a young age. He played guitar and even spent time learning skateboarding with a Calicut-based skateboarding community.
Creativity was already a part of his life. What he needed was the ability to structure that creativity and use it professionally.
HACA helped him build that foundation.
Instead of simply learning how to use design tools, he began understanding how to approach design projects, develop ideas, take feedback, and improve his work.
Building a Portfolio That Could Get Him Hired
At the end of the course, Mohit had to build a portfolio. But the portfolio was not treated as something to simply complete and submit. The mentors worked closely with the students and gave them detailed feedback throughout the process.
If something was not good enough, they were told directly. If a project needed to be redone, they were asked to try again. For Mohit, this feedback played an important role in improving his portfolio.
The mentors were not just looking at what the students had already created. They were also trying to identify what more each student could do.
They pushed Mohit to look beyond his existing work and bring out more of his potential. That process helped him create a portfolio that he felt confident presenting professionally.
“If the work wasn't good, they would tell us directly that it wasn't good and ask us to try again.”
Mohit believes this portfolio also played an important role in helping him get his first professional opportunity.
From a Placement Drive to His First Design Job
After completing his graduation, Mohit attended HACA's placement drive. Until then, he had not attended many interviews or actively looked for opportunities.
The placement drive gave him something he had been looking for: a chance to take the first step.
He attended the interview and was selected for a Graphic Designer position at Interval.
For Mohit, it was a major moment.
He had completed a B.Tech degree in Computer Science, but his long-term interest in design had never disappeared.
Now, he had finally found an opportunity to turn that interest into a career.
Following His Passion
Mohit's journey was not a straight path from school to a design career.
He explored design early, considered different options, chose engineering, spent four years studying something he did not particularly enjoy, and eventually returned to the field he had always been interested in.
What stayed consistent throughout that journey was his passion for design. He knew that design was something he did not want to give up.
HACA helped him turn that interest into practical skills, build a professional portfolio, and take his first step into the industry.
Today, Mohit works as a Graphic Designer at Interval.
His journey has helped him develop skills in:
Graphic Design
Adobe Illustrator
Adobe Photoshop
Visual Design
Portfolio Development
Professional Design
His story shows that your degree does not always have to decide your career.
Sometimes, you may discover what you really want only after trying something else.
For Mohit, a B.Tech degree was not the end of his story. His interest in design stayed with him, and when the right opportunity came, he chose to follow it.
Hear Mohit Tell His Story
Watch Mohit talk about his journey from a B.Tech graduate with a passion for drawing to becoming a professional Graphic Designer at Interval.
Watch Mohit's Full Story on YouTube
Mohit's journey is a reminder that you don't always need to start with a design degree to build a career in design.
What matters is finding the field you genuinely enjoy, learning the skills you need, building work that shows what you can do, and being willing to take the opportunity when it comes.
For Mohit, the path to design was not direct. But he never really stopped moving towards it.
