Looking for work experience

Acquiring work experience before graduating and getting a feel of what working with professionals feels like are objectives I consider as highly important. This led me to applying on a voluntary basis for several companies on Isle of Wight as a Web Design intern, hoping to produce some original work and make contacts that would help me if I decided to take a placement year.

In October 2016 I approached several companies by email and phone. I attached my best pieces of work that match the quality of the projects I had seen in the portfolios of the businesses. A lot of them however were small web design agencies that that could not accommodate a student due to lack of space. Eventually I received a message from a company called Bate Brand that seemed interested in my work. I was invited to their office for an informal chat that would help me and Mark (Bate Brand’s director) see how I can be useful for the company.

On October 21st I met Mark and his team in their office in Ryde. We had a discussion about my experience of building web sites and designing visuals around a specific concept. Mark had seen my portfolio and asked me to describe the process of creating the artefacts. I provided details on what software I used, how long the planning and designing phases took and what justification had to be applied. He seemed pleased with my work and introduced me to a new project of his company.

One of the many areas Bate Brand is specialized in is print consultancy. The company has a separate website which advertises the service (Signature Printing) and the range of products that customers can put their own print on. However, the content looked outdated in terms of its presentation. I was asked if I would like to be part of “rebranding” the design by producing innovative visuals and site layout that would replace the existing ones. The project seemed like an exciting idea that would enhance my CV and Portfolio which is why I instantly accepted the invitation. For the next couple of months I ended up going to the company’s office one day a week which suits my timetable and the company’s. The outcome had to be a website built with Squarespace – a platform that I was introduced to as part of working with Eliott (Senior Graphic Designer at Bate Brand).

Overall, this experience was more than beneficial for me in many aspects. I gained confidence, acquired additional skills and made good contact with the company’s manager who would later on give me some information about places on the island that could help me get a placement.