Even before she even knew it, Dally Purewal was a graphic designer. As a youngster, she was very creative and loved to redesign commercial products such as sweet wrappers and cereal boxes, but wasn’t aware that what she was doing was the forerunner to her future career.

“It was always there,” says the director of the Leeds graphic design, web and print studio; Ideas That Work. “A neighbour was encouraging my art by taking me on watercolour painting trips round my home town of Leicester and because I was also sporty, I was designing my own trainers and promotional posters.”

It was during a careers interview at school, when Dally was about 13, that she realised that her “hobby” could be her career.

“I was asked what I liked to do in my spare time and when I explained I was told that what I was doing was called graphic design,” she says. “I began to research the industry and in 2004 I got a place on the Visual Communications degree course at Leeds College of Art & Design.”

Dally loved being in Leeds and enjoyed her first year but, during her second year, she began to realise that there was something about the course that wasn’t fulfilling her requirements.

“Although I didn’t realise it at the time, I had more of a business element in me that wasn’t being addressed on the course. I was comparing myself with all these highly talented designers around me whose focus was on design, but my interest was more commercial.”

Dally Purewal
Director of Ideas That Work

As a result, Dally thought she wasn’t good enough and considered teaching when she finished her degree. She applied to do a PGCE course but, fortunately, one of her tutors could see her struggling and asked to have a chat with her. He convinced her of her talent, and it was the boost she needed to pull herself together, graduating with a good 2:1 degree – and a job!

As part of the course, during the second year, the students had to approach a company as though applying for a job, submitting their CV and resume.

That company – national franchise, printing.com – remembered Dally’s application and three months before she graduated they contacted her because they were looking for a junior.

“I already had a place on a PGCE course, but I think it was really an escape because I didn’t think I would be working in the industry. But I got the job with printing.com, and it was a perfect fit for me. I loved it.”

DALLY PUREWAL
DIRECTOR OF IDEAS THAT WORK

She worked with the Leicester franchise for a year-and-a-half before moving back to Leeds to get married. Her business development manager had recognised her talent and value and recommended her to a Leeds branch.

Seven years later, in 2017, the two directors wanted to take a step back and Dally took on the franchise.

“It was a great opportunity for me,” she says. “I had always wanted to have my own studio, and the beauty of taking this on was that it was already an established and successful business under the franchise umbrella.”

She put her own stamp on it with new premises and a new name.

Dally, 34, and her team deal with a whole range of businesses, from new start-ups to well-established companies of all sizes and from all sectors. From creating logos, to designing full campaigns for print, designing and building websites, as well as writing marketing plans.

She aims to share her success by introducing an apprentice, as well as mentoring, providing interview practise, and visiting schools to speak to students.

Not bad for the girl who nearly gave it all up for teaching.