“It’s more than just learning how to make a Brilliant Cuppa!”
I am about to go into my final year at Newcastle University, and have therefore naturally started to construct a picture of my future outside the bubble of university. I have always envisioned myself working within a creative sector, where I can combine my degree in English Literature, with my art foundation. So, when I was given the opportunity to be an intern at the creative agency Fluro, I was extremely excited!
The life of an intern is much like the creative process of ‘design thinking’. It’s all about empathising with your target audience, so that you can develop innovative ways of selling yourself and standing out in a highly competitive, ever-changing world.
Empathise
Start by recognising your companies’ ethos. Discovering their building blocks involves engaging with their perspective, so that you can form an impression of what makes them tick. What initially attracted me to Fluro was their dynamic, exciting ways of communicating creatively. Fluro’s recent Brooks campaign really steps outside the box, revealing the endless possibilities of branding and design. I was eager to gain some first-hand experience, and be a part of creating fun, quirky campaigns like Brooks.
Define
Just like every new design project, a mission statement is required to help you define your objectives. What do you want to convey and achieve? Working as an intern makes you think about the best possible way to market yourself, while also defining what you can bring to the table. Being at the bottom of the food chain doesn’t mean you have zero responsibility. I’ve had the very important task of managing Fluro’s twitter account, and have been trying very hard not to let the power go to my head! I never expected glamour and glitz, but being an intern does give you the chance to offer a fresh perspective on relevant areas such as social media. I was even trusted to be let out on a day trip to Dreams, where I had the very challenging task of photographing potential beds for a photoshoot. It’s fair to say that I have acquired quite an eye for interior design.
Ideate
Brainstorming dictates that there are no rules. So dump your ideas on the desk, they are all welcome. Even if it is your latest theory on the perfect cuppa, you never know, you could be onto something! While working at Fluro I’ve had the chance to help plan a story board for an animation project. This has involved sharing all my ideas, even if they have been slightly too far out of the box. It’s made me realise that mistakes are all part of progression. Putting pen to paper is essential in the process of turning ideas into reality.
Prototype
Once you have unloaded all your ideas, it’s time to come up with a test model. Prototypes allow your users to engage with your ideas. At Fluro I’ve been putting my ideas into practice. I was keen to expand my knowledge of programs such as Photoshop and illustrator, as these are obviously essential tools for any designer. I have been helping Jo create some custom illustrations for a website she’s working on. I’ve really enjoyed being allowed to play around with these programs, and create with my own images.
Test
Now that my internship is coming to an end, I won’t lie that Fluro have offered me the position of creative director. I’m not even sure I’m quite ready to hit the shelves yet, but with a little more refinement I hope that I will crack the design market soon. It’s time for me to throw myself out there, and follow my dreams… that’s after I’ve managed to find myself in Thailand. Working as an intern at Fluro has given me a taster of my desired future. I’ve learnt that creativity has zero restrictions, attention to detail breeds success, and more importantly not all office life is dull!
