Millie Hartwell
I'm a multidisciplinary designer with a specific interest in illustration, branding, and photography.
Problem & Insight
45% of retired professional footballers say they felt unprepared for life after football. For too long, retirement from football has been seen as an ending, a moment tinged with loss, uncertainty, or decline. But the truth is, it’s not the end of the road; it’s a celebration. Footballers don’t just play the game, they spend years training, learning discipline, resilience, leadership, and teamwork at the highest level. When they step off the pitch, they aren’t retiring; they’re graduating, ready to apply these world-class skills to new disciplines. By reframing retirement as a celebration of achievement and possibility, it can shift the narrative from ‘what’s lost’ to ‘what’s next’, opening up a future filled with opportunity, growth, and impact both on and off the field.
Introducing The Next Play
The Next Play is a flagship annual event introduced by the Professional Footballers Association (PFA), designed to support current and recently retired players from the Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two in successfully transitioning into life beyond football. Inspired by the structure and excitement of the USA NFL Scouting Combine and Draft, this immersive four-day experience shifts the spotlight from athletic performance to transferable skills, personal growth, and professional development. Through hands-on workshops, networking with industry leaders, and tailored mentoring, players explore new paths in sectors such as media, tech, coaching, business, and beyond. Day 4 of the event culminates at the iconic Wembley Stadium with a live, draft-style celebration, a high profile public showcase where players are ‘drafted’ into new roles, while simultaneously, an immersive fan experience at BOXPARK Wembley engages supporters, offering a vibrant atmosphere to celebrate alongside the players. Fans around the world join in celebrating their Next Play, making it a truly collective and inspiring conclusion.
The Combine is the cornerstone of The Next Play Experience, a dynamic, behind closed doors event designed to help footballers explore and shape the next chapter of their careers. Inspired by the NFL Combine, this immersive 3 day experience brings together leading companies, career coaches, and industry experts to evaluate, support, and match players with opportunities aligned to their skills, interests, and aspirations. Through tailored workshops, interviews, and hands on challenges, players begin to redefine their professional identity, connect with potential employers, and take the first step toward their Next Play, all in a space built with understanding, respect, and ambition.
On the final day of The Next Play, BOXPARK Wembley is transformed into an immersive fan experience that runs alongside the live celebration at Wembley Stadium. Fans walk through a powerful journey featuring career timelines, honest player stories, and interactive moments that highlight the challenges of life after football, such as identity loss and addiction. The path leads to the Fan Hub, where the event is broadcast live on big screens for those without stadium tickets. Fans contribute personal messages in the Memories Room, which are displayed on a digital wall, celebrating player legacies and connecting supporters from around the world. It’s a vibrant, emotional, and communal experience that reminds everyone: retirement isn’t the end, it’s the beginning of the next play.
The energy then builds with a city wide bus parade, as players travel through the heart of London in a powerful send off inspired by iconic victory parades. Fans line the streets to cheer them on, not just for what they’ve achieved, but for what’s next. The parade ends at Wembley Stadium, where players walk the red carpet, greeted by supporters, media, friends and family. Inside, the stadium becomes the stage for powerful speeches, emotional tributes, live music, and the much anticipated draft moments, where select players are presented with custom shirts that symbolise their next chapter. From launching businesses to joining media teams to stepping into coaching and many more, these reveals are bold declarations of what’s to come. Whether experienced from the stands, streamed live from BOXPARK, or watched from home, the final event brings the football community together to honour endings, celebrate ‘Next Plays’, and champion the journey beyond the pitch.
Below is a brief insight into my other projects completed over my third year from both Semester 1 and Semester 2. To view all these projects in more detail please use the link to my portfolio website at the top of this page.
On The Rocks, On The Road is a global campaign from On The Rocks Premium Cocktails and Suntory Global Spirits, launched to support the introduction of OTR Zero, an alcohol-free cocktail crafted for modern, mindful explorers. Strategically placed vending booths along 10 iconic road trip routes worldwide offer convenient access to the drink, along with a built-in photo feature that encourages travellers to capture and share their journeys. Supported by a curated road trip pack, dedicated mobile app, and travel-focused merchandise, the campaign promotes real-world connection, shared experiences, and a more conscious, safer way to enjoy the adventure, proving you don’t need alcohol to make meaningful memories on the road.
Meet Artemis the app providing a practical solution for young girls who avoid swimming on their periods.
By breaking down the stigmas around menstruation and offering young girls support, knowledge and a sense of belonging, Artemis empowers them to confidently swim whilst on their period.
Artemis is more than just an app, it’s a movement designed to empower young girls to embrace their bodies, live fearlessly, and swim confidently whilst on their period. Named after the Greek goddess of the hunt and moon, and protector of women and girls, Artemis represents strength, independence, and the belief that nothing should hold a girl back from participating in the activties she loves.
The UK wastes 9.5 billion tonnes of food every year. It is said of this waste 6.4 million tonnes could have been eaten, the equivalent of over 15 billion meals.
The Scrappy Menu campaign provides a solution to this problem:
Over 5 days, The Scrappy Menu campaign will partner with a restaurant in 5 UK cities, redefining how we view food waste. Each restaurant will create a bespoke menu using ‘ugly’ produce, surplus items and ingredients sourced from the surrounding areas, transforming them into inventive and delicious dishes. These recipes will be shared online to encourage people to cook sustainably at home. At the campaign’s end, the recipes and experiences will be compiled into a cookbook, a lasting legacy that celebrates creativity, reduces food waste, and inspires a more sustainable approach to food.
All photography in this project is my own.
Roger Bradley Fitness – Social Media Designer: 2021 to present (ongoing)
Witney Hockey Club – Voluntary Design Officer: 2023 to present (ongoing)
Derwent House – Marketing: 3 Month Placement
Burford Secondary School – Marketing: 3 Month Placement