Illustration graduate Jake Williams wins New Designer of the Year Award 2017

A panel of judges chose Jake for his fully-illustrated non-fiction children's book Resilient Reptiles, which focuses on how reptiles of the world have adapted to their environments to survive. They praised his "creative approach, style and ambition to tackle difficult subjects thoughtfully through the medium illustration".

Williams, originally from Christchurch in Dorset, now lives in central Plymouth, said: "Exhibiting at New Designers has been a really good experience in terms of showing my work to new people and making invaluable industry contacts. Winning the award, in particular, was mind-blowing and was unexpected. The level of interest in my children's book from publishers increased overnight after the award was announced.

Jake's shape-based vector illustration incorporates bold, vibrant colours in a balanced and considered manner. He draws inspiration from several different areas, from culture and nature to film, TV and science. His work focuses on a strong use of characters and concepts that come together to produce fresh and exciting work, often with multiple layers of communication. Here, we share snippets from his Resilient Reptiles book and some of his latest illustrations.