Staff spotlight: Sophie Clarke – Signage and Symbol Design Support

June 2026

From work experience with the design team, to becoming Widgit’s first Signage and Symbol Design Support, we sat down with Sophie Clarke to discuss her Widgit journey so far, her hopes for the future, and of course: her favourite Widgit Symbol!

What drew you to apply for work experience at Widgit?

I was unsure about what I wanted to do following school. I'd spent a few years working with horses on livery and race yards to keep me going. However, I'd previously done a GCSE in Graphic Design which I really enjoyed. My mum had previously worked with Sally Wells, Widgit’s Lead Symbol & Education Specialist, who mentioned symbol design. This sparked an idea for me to approach Widgit about the possibility of work experience.

Who did you work with and what did you learn?

I worked closely with Gee, Widgit’s Symbol and Information Designer. We used Adobe Illustrator and he showed me some symbols and the rules / schema they must follow. Following this training, I was tasked with redrawing symbols, including the horse! I also ended up drawing a new avatar for one of our staff members.

Tell us about your role as Signage and Symbol Design Support.

As Widgit’s Signage and Symbol Design Support, no day is the same! I do a mixture of jobs, including:

• Signage: interacting with customers to provide quotes and information, designing Communication Boards and door signs, organising the printing of the orders, etc.
• Symbols: drawing new symbols / updating existing symbols and all the checks before they can go for final approval, and learning to create the VDATs / wordlists and installers which is how we get them to our customers.
• Widgit Online templates: I have recently been learning how to write the code for Widgit Online templates which has been something completely new and very interesting.

What’s the best part about your job so far?

Learning xml to write the Widgit Online templates has definitely been one of my favourite parts as I've gotten to learn something completely new and something I really enjoy doing!

What makes Widgit a unique place to work?

Widgit have created such a positive working environment for all staff. No matter what project I’m working on, I always feel I have the support and help I need to do my job well. I’d definitely say the quantity of work-provided lunches is unique, too!

What are your hopes for the future of Widgit?

I’d love to see the company continue to progress in making the world an accessible space for everyone. As a Certified B Corp, we do this in a way that has minimal negative impact on the environment, which is great to see.

Finally, what’s your favourite Widgit Symbol?

Definitely a difficult one as there are far too many to choose from! For me it’s probably the axolotl (not yet in the set), simply because it was very fun to draw and they are such fun, unique little creatures.