Tag: Intern

Name: Alex Page
Studied: Nottingham Trent University
Interned: June 2015
Likes: Thai food & pub trips
Dislikes: Peanuts
Featured project: A Universal Solution, John Lewis

I came to The Allotment just a week after finishing university and was unsure what to expect. The transition from education to the real world can be extremely daunting and something that cannot be taught. However during my time at The Allotment I felt very welcome and included; it was a great introduction to the industry.

I gained hands-on experience, working on real-life projects and tasks that required me to develop all aspects of my skills. This ranged from from copywriting and idea generation to designing documents. I believe this responsibility has been invaluable, has allowed me to grow as a designer and understand more about preparing myself further for the graphic design industry. These experiences are something that I believe I wouldn’t have been able to gain at a larger agency.

Name: Chris Webster
Studied: Norwich University of the Arts
Interned: April 2015
Likes: Rock music
Dislikes: Onions
Featured project: Eden Project Rebrand

It’s been about 10 years since I first knew I wanted to become a Graphic Designer; my first glimpse of Graphic Design was when I was in year 9 at school and completed some work experience with a printing company.

After college I studied at Norwich University of the Arts where I realised that what I had learned up to that point just scratched the surface of what Graphic Design and branding is and what the industry is all about. Having lectures with design agencies, talks and critiques about my work with Tutors and past Norwich graduates was great. What I learned from lectures, the tutors and other graduates is what helped me become the ideas driven person that I am today.

Name: Georgia Dowling
Web: georgiadowling.co.uk
Studied: Falmouth University
Interned: March 2015
Likes: The colour yellow
Dislikes: Bananas
Featured project: The Power of the Cross

When I was younger my dream was to live in a caravan in Weston-super-Mare and become an artist. I had it all planned out; I was going to live in the double bedroom and convert the twin room into a studio. I would look out of my window onto a beautiful sea view for inspiration and I would sell my masterpieces to the abundance of willing customers who would fill the promenade as they clambered over each other to get their hands on my latest works. Thankfully I soon realised that this was a terrible idea as art is notoriously hard to make money from, Weston-super-mare is 98% mud and most importantly, I’m not a retired bus driver. It was probably at around this point that I first looked towards graphic design.

Fast forward eight years and I am just coming to the end of my first year working for The Allotment, but how did I get here? Well, first there were two years of cutting, sticking and learning to draw the perfect ellipse for my GCSE, then there were a further two years at college where leaflets, posters and even the odd business card were thrown into the mix, and then finally there was university which is where it all started to make sense and I was hit with the revelation that ideas are king. I Graduated from The University of Gloucestershire in the summer of 2013 having loved my time there and feeling that I was ready to take on the world (of design). It is only when I look back now that I realise how drastically unprepared I was for what was coming my way. It is for this reason that I am sat here now eagerly typing away in the hope that I can impart some wisdom, help just a few people make the leap from student to studio and guide them away from some of the mistakes that I made.