Hamilton local Brogan Houghton found her true calling as a potter.
Hamilton local Brogan Houghton found her true calling as a potter.
Te Pūkenga - Wintec design graduate and Hamilton local Brogan Houghton had no idea what to do after finishing secondary school until she found her calling as a potter.
Houghton had the same struggle that lots of other students will know too well: she knew her strengths - maths and sports, where she even represented New Zealand in water polo - but knew that wasn’t going to be the direction she ultimately wanted to head in.
So, she decided to work at a pharmacy after school to give herself the time to think about the right direction for her future. Attending a beginner ceramics class with her brother in 2017, she immediately fell in love with pottery.
Although she wasn’t an “out-there creative”, she ended up signing up for the Wintec Bachelor of Design (Visual Communication) a year later.
“I enjoy the digital side of design and I like the process... If I had gone into study straight after high school, it would have been business or accounting,” Houghton says.
During a conversation with a tutor, she learned of an opportunity to work for Mystery Creek Ceramics when her degree came to an end, but there was a steep learning curve to develop all the skills required to become a studio potter.
“On the job, I’ve developed new skills in hand-building, staining the clay, the process of Nerikomi, loading kilns and glazing - everything. I do what I love and get paid for it. There’s not a lot of jobs ... like this.”
Houghton also teaches a class at the Waikato Society of Potters and has her own brand of hand-made pottery products. She says her design degree has proved to be essential for her own business.
Brogan Houghton has her own brand of hand-made pottery.
“It’s been so helpful because I have the skills and ability to do some of my own photography, and then do all my own design and product design.”
Te Pūkenga Design Team manager Julie Ashby says an education in design provides students with skills that are transferable across disciplines.
“The degree teaches students how to develop and refine an initial concept through to the development phase and into completion - this approach can be applied to many areas,” Ashby said.
Houghton’s advice to students in their final year is to do what they love and stick to it.
“And keep your eyes open for opportunities, because sometimes your career direction isn’t as linear as you’d think.”
