ART.WORK.LOVE.PARIS.

Marion Bisserier reflects on her time working in Paris. 

One month ago, I started my internship at Artworklove in Paris. The studio is lead by Marion Laurens and Linda Ouiddir. The studio specialises in print and cultural briefs, with clients such as Theatre de Lorient, photographer Mathias Depardon but also more corporate work such as Bouygues Immobilier on architectural projects or luxury brands such as Cartier or Givenchy.
As this was my first graphic design work experience, I had no idea what to expect nor how I was going to work. Now it has been a month and I am happy to be in the team. Since it is a small studio, I got to know everyone quickly and was involved in the projects from early on. On my first two weeks, I was mainly working on the design of the screen printed posters, invitations and flyers for the new shows of the Theatre de Lorient. The identity being 100% typographic, I really felt in my element. The most challenging part was to continuously modify and adapt the design to the client’s needs, especially when we had to incorporate a lot more text than we were given originally. Working on this project, I learned that being an efficient designer means anticipating modifications and planning adaptable designs instead of creating a single complex and rigid option.
On the last two weeks, the pace in the studio increased as we had a lot of deadlines approaching, including Mathias Depardon’s photography exhibition and an invitation for the inauguration of the Tribunal de Paris, a building designed by Renzo Piano. This meant that I had to manage more projects at the same time. In the beginning I struggled to switch from one project to another in a short time and didn’t always manage to be on top of each task. After a few days, I became more comfortable with the timings. Although the pace was more stressful, I enjoyed exploring the different environments of each project, going from branding to exhibition graphics, and improving my multitasking as well as time management skills.
I was especially happy with my contribution to Mathias Depardon’s exhibition graphics. Designing paragraphs and a map at a scale of a four meters high wall was a first for me. By working with Marion, I developed my attention to typographic details such as rivers, hyphenations and balance in the paragraphs. Every time we made a slight change in the weight or size of the font, Marion and I made a test print and pinned it to the wall to make sure it was right. It was interesting to be part of this remarkable photographer’s exhibition and work with the team behind him who curated this event.
Overall, I’ve spent an enriching first month working as an intern at Artworklove. Clearly being a good design student at university and being an efficient design intern in a professional environment are two different things. In addition to being a good practitioner, it is essential to embrace the fast pace, the amount of team work and the challenge of meeting the client’s needs. I’m looking forward to the next two months and to becoming more pro-active in the team of Artworklove.