i'm busy not interning.

Phoebe Man, BA Graphic Branding and Identity

DPS so far: I have done work from assisting a freelancer to setting up exhibitions to now being part of a design team for this years Wieden + Kennedy window and branding DPS’ pop up shop in Elephant and Castle.

The past few weeks have definitely been the busiest of DPS. Before joining the two current projects, I was getting worried that I hadn't secured an internship. By this time, I had always imagined that I would be in a full-time placement, working with new creatives alike in Central London. A slow start but building speed -  it has still been very beneficial and I have enjoyed every moment so far, gaining experience from new ways of working (even if it is with people I already know).

Deadlines are coming very soon for W+K and LCC so work is getting more hectic but I feel like I am being productive. With regular meetings, there is a real emphasis on how important communication is. Shared Google Slides and Docs have been my best friend, with an honourable mention of Whatsapp’s group chats and calls and it is confirmed how clunky Outlook is. Feedback, in my opinion, is the most important way to spark and develop ideas. It can be extremely limiting to work alone and see your own outcomes from only one perspective.

For Wieden and Kennedy, we have been getting regular feedback from meetings we have weekly. More recently adding the element of sweets supplied by Hoxton Street Monsters. It has changed the direction of the original idea but kept the essence of curiosity. Working with new clients for a confirmed pitch has meant narrative of the idea has changed so I feel like the idea generation has limited the attention of the audience. On one hand, it lives in a fantasy land and those that connect by imagination it adds to the experience (therefore generally a younger market) but it can also not be in the interest of others and will take away from W+K and Christmas itself. The window is about Wieden + Kennedy celebrating 20 years of being an independent agency and so it is very important to make it simple and interact with as many people as possible that walks past. Since then we have decided not to work with Hoxton Street Monsters and make the idea as easy to understand as possible whilst keeping the idea strong and engaging.

Good Gifts - LCC’s pop up shop has come around so quickly, in two weeks we have gone from start to end. Thrown in the deep end, Laura and I have done the branding for it and have also applied it to the space itself. We decided to print it using the risograph, using fluo orange, to capture peoples attention passing everything to do with Good Gifts - from the shop itself in Elephant and Castle shopping centre to the posters/flyers placed around uni. I’ve learnt how to time manage much better - working to shorter deadlines I set myself and write a to do list that shows everything in my head.

I am continuously applying to studios and brands looking for designers and hopefully, next year will offer many more amazing opportunities. I am currently in the middle of organising a freelance job after being recommended and hopefully, that will start in the new year.

VISIT MY WEBSITE