Graphic designer for The Sharks brand shares about her work
As South Africa commemorates Women’s Month this August, the Highway Mail features inspirational women from the Highway area. Women’s Month is a tribute to the more than 20 000 women who marched to the Union Buildings on 9 August 1956, to protest against the extension of Pass Laws to women.
THE Creative Head at The Sharks is dynamic graphic designer Sasha Subramoney. The Sharks is a well-loved KZN rugby team, with a long and illustrious history, which is based in Durban.
Subramoney, a Westville resident, has been passionate about art from childhood and completed a Visual Communication: Graphic Design degree after finishing school.
She says, “I studied graphic design which led me to where I am now. Initially, I didn’t really understand what design is, but it seemed like an exciting course to go into because it involved art. I fell in love with design as it is visual problem solving; no workday is the same as there is no one-size-fits-all solution.”
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Subramoney says that her daily routine involves management along with the creative aspects of her role.
“My primary function is to lead the team, manage deadlines and ensure all work is of the highest standard possible and is on brand. I also do all the design work at The Sharks which includes social media, presentations, print and digital. In addition, I have the task of mentoring and upskilling our junior designers,” says the young creative.
Having an in-house design agency is a relatively new initiative for The Sharks as previously this kind of work was outsourced to other agencies. The administration team, including the financial, marketing and events departments, is predominantly female. Their offices are based at the Hollywoodbets Kings Park stadium where the Cell C Sharks team practises and plays matches.
Subramoney says, “Fortunately, we do meet the players occasionally as we shoot content with them for our platforms. Every day is different, as I might write up social media posts, sponsor presentations or campaign strategy on any given day.”
The graphic designer says that design is involved in every aspect of her life.
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“The most satisfying aspect of my work is solving a problem in a visual way. Give me a Word document with statistics, and I’ll go wild with an infographic, as I love bringing design to life,” she says.
What does the young creative enjoy the most about working for a popular and iconic Durban brand?
“I get to work for a brand that is loved by so many people, which has become a tradition for so many generations, and that is a great honour. Being able to work on something much bigger than yourself is meaningful. A career highlight for me was designing the last 2020 Super Rugby Marvel jersey and seeing the team and fans wear the design. In this way, you essentially become a part of history,” she says.
Subramoney’s young daughter was excited to attend her first rugby match with her mother.
Subramoney says, “She thoroughly enjoyed it. Whenever she sees The Sharks logo, she knows that’s where I work. She loves watching them play, and coming to a game is very exciting, especially the match-day vibe. That was one of the rare game-offs that I was able to attend with my daughter as she usually watches with my family. It’s important that she is exposed to sports, especially rugby, because it has such strong South African roots.”
