Our passionate team is at the heart of everything we do at Bubble, and it’s the people behind the work that truly set us apart. That’s why we love shining a spotlight on the talented individuals you’ll work with when you partner with us.
This month, we’re catching up with Ellis, our Web Design Apprentice. As he works through his Level 2 Marketing Apprenticeship with a focus on web design, Ellis is gaining hands-on experience across the web team and building the skills needed to become a web designer. We chat with him about what he’s been learning so far, what it’s like starting his career in a busy agency, and a few things you might not know about him outside of work.
1. Tell us a bit about your role at Bubble – what does being a marketing apprentice involve day to day?
I usually start my day by getting into the office and checking my emails to see if there’s anything that needs chasing up or responding to. I’ll then have a meeting with the full team to make sure we’re all aligned on our projects. After that, I’ll get stuck into designs or any snagging that needs completing. I normally finish most of my days by catching up on my apprenticeship work.
2. You’re currently completing a Level 2 Marketing Apprenticeship with a focus on web design. What made you interested in pursuing a career in web design?
I’ve grown up around marketing my whole life, and it’s always interested me from a young age, but I didn’t know which route would be best for me. When I looked into it more, I felt the creative side was the best fit. Not only is it fun and different every day, but it’s also helped me gain insight into lots of different areas of marketing and how Bubble works. A bit of everything is involved, such as SEO and content, PPC, engaging with clients, email campaigns and website work. It all comes together, which has helped me learn a lot and stay fully switched on and engaged.
3. What have you enjoyed learning the most since starting your apprenticeship at Bubble?
One thing I’ve really enjoyed learning since starting my apprenticeship is dealing with clients and improving my email etiquette. I’d never really had to use emails much or interact with people every day throughout my education, so coming into a role where I do this daily was slightly daunting at first.
However, I feel like I’ve picked it up well, and I find it really interesting dealing with a range of different personalities and learning how to adapt my communication style depending on the client.
4. What kinds of things have you been working on or getting involved with so far in the studio?
One of the main things I’ve been working on is designing SEO landing page templates. We’re seeing a big increase in clients wanting SEO packages, so many past clients are coming back to ask how they can make the most of SEO. Our usual approach is to create location-based landing pages or more product-specific pages.
My role is to design templates that the content team can then use to implement content that will help those pages rank well. I’ve also designed a lot of pop-ups and exit intent banners for clients. Often, past clients come back and realise these could benefit their websites, so I’ll create the designs and help get them implemented.
5. Where do you hope your career takes you over the next few years?
That’s a tough question. In the short term, over the next few months, I’d like to start picking up bigger projects and demonstrate the design skills I’ve learned during my time at Bubble so far.
In the future, I’d love to progress into more of a leadership role where I’m responsible for a team, even if it’s just a handful of people. I feel I’m quite good at interacting with people, so I think that would suit me well.
The sales side of Bubble also really interests me. I hear about it every day and it sounds very motivating and rewarding. The idea of creating a strategy that delivers great results and a strong ROI really appeals to me, so I’d love to explore that further one day.
6. What part of the web design process have you found the most interesting so far?
The content and strategy side of things is really interesting. We have such a skilled team to learn from, and listening to them talk about the strategies we can use to help our clients is fascinating. If I was a client hearing what keywords would work best and what strategies we could implement to improve their SEO, it would really impress me.
I also aspire to be like the senior web designers. Everyone in the web design team is amazing at what they do. Their creativity and the care they put into their work is something really special that we have at Bubble, and watching them use their skills day in and day out is really inspiring.
7. What’s been your favourite moment since joining Bubble?
My favourite moment so far has probably been completing my first full website design. It gave me a real sense of accomplishment and has definitely motivated me to work on more full website projects and go through the whole process again.
8. What do you enjoy doing outside of work?
Football, through and through. As soon as I leave work it’s all about football. I play most days during the week, and when I’m not playing I’ll be watching it, no matter which teams are on.
I especially love Chelsea. I’ve followed them since I was young after my uncle took me to my first game, which I think was away at Sunderland. That moment stuck with me, and ever since then I’ve been a very passionate Chelsea fan.
9. What’s one thing on your bucket list?
One thing on my bucket list that’s slightly out of my control is watching England win an international trophy. It would be an absolute dream. I’ve watched every England game in every international tournament since I was around six years old, so seeing them finally win one would be amazing.
Another thing on my bucket list is visiting Australia. One of my best mates spent six months there this year and said it was the best time of his life. I’d love to go out and visit him, even if it’s just for a couple of weeks.
10. And finally – if you could pick any other job in the world for a day, what would you try?
It would definitely be a footballer. When I was younger I always dreamed of playing football professionally, but it doesn’t work out for most young players.
I’d love to experience it for a day though. Waking up in the morning and playing football all day sounds like living the dream.
Want to find out more? Take a look at the web services we offer at Bubble Design, or head over to meet the rest of the team.
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