We're excited to share an interview with Danique, our first-ever intern at our design and development studio based in London. Originally hailing from Amsterdam, Danique brought her unique perspective and design skills to our team, working closely with our experienced designers and developers for three months. As we reflect on her time with us, we're eager to share her insights on what it's like to intern as a designer, what she learned during her time with us, and her thoughts on the importance of internships for aspiring designers. So without further ado, let's dive into our interview with Danique!
If you're thinking about starting an internship this summer with a design and development studio, let's chat - we has places available! Email us now.
Santi: Hey Danique,
It has been a pleasure to have you as part of our team. We loved sharing our experience with you, and I hope you enjoyed this process as much as we did while you learned about Fortnight and the industry. I am sure that exploring the different services we provide, such as branding, websites and mobile apps, was useful for your academic growth.
As you are leaving soon, I wanted to have a short informal interview to get a sense of your entire experience working with us, the projects you worked on, the people you met, the mentors who assisted you in the process, the fun moments and every memorable situation you had.
I wanted to start by congratulating you on this successful internship and asking you to tell us more about your background.
Danique: Thank you Santi. Well, I am a 22-year-old girl from the Netherlands who moved from Amsterdam to London for this internship opportunity. I’m studying my second year of Creative Business at Amsterdam University of Applied Science, so I have two more years left. My passions are design, photography, astrology and interior design.
S: What was the starting point of this internship journey?
D: I wanted to experience living abroad while practising my English in a different working environment. There are a lot of job opportunities in London, so while researching for good agencies where I could test my design skills and learn from experts, I found that Fortnight is highly recognised and experienced in the industry, so I didn’t hesitate to apply. Fortnight was not only a top design agency but also focused on web and mobile app design, areas I wanted to learn more about.
Then I started digging into the different industries that Fortnight has worked in, and I was immediately thrilled by the diversity and depth of the projects.
S: What did you want to get out of this internship? Did you set any goals prior to starting your internship?
D: I set three goals before starting this internship.
To design a web app from the beginning to the end.
To design a brand book.
To get more confident speaking in English.
I was incredibly excited when the CEO contacted me. The interview with Rico was very nice and warm, I felt very comfortable. We discussed our mutual expectations for my internship to see if they matched Fortnight’s approach. It felt like Fortnight was the perfect place to reach my objectives.
I was so happy when the internship was approved and when I met the rest of the team. It was great getting to know the different backgrounds and the vast experience of the team. Seb was the point of contact between my university and Fortnight and became my mentor during this time.
It was great learning the processes, styles and areas of the business from different angles.
S: How was the process of moving to London from Amsterdam?
D: Fortnight was very flexible with the starting date, so it was great to have some extra time to figure out where to live. Steph was also very nice and was always ready to help with tips and suggestions, making me feel comfortable. It made me feel welcomed and like the team was happy to have me on board. Once the relocation was sorted out, I continued going through tutorials to get a better understanding of Figma and Adobe.
S: How was the experience after 3 months working at Fortnight? Were you surprised by anything you experienced?
D: I was surprised to find out the real length of projects from the beginning to the end. I learned that sometimes it is better to narrow the scope and focus on specific things to be able to achieve your goals and keep improving your skills.
I was also happily surprised by the fact that everyone was so friendly and helpful. I felt very safe and comfortable. They treated me as a junior designer, and I had a voice, which gave me more confidence to work on the projects and share my ideas.
I learned during this internship how to properly use tools like Figma to make my work more efficient and my life easier. However, the biggest thing I took from this experience was learning how to do research online and learn by myself before combining the insights with what my colleagues could suggest. You can find any answer online to get an initial idea that can be leveraged with extra support.
S: Do you feel that you have accomplished everything you wanted?
D: Yes, for sure! Fortnight gave me the freedom and time to work on my goals. I adjusted the scope of the brand book to match it with the available resources and be able to focus on improving my skills.
The team also included me in different stages of projects like wireframing, brand workshops, brand naming, and social media templates for me to experience a wide range of processes. I also worked on a web dashboard that shows financial information and insights.
S: How was your experience with WFH and the flexible working environment?
D: I really liked this kind of flexibility as you feel more productive and have more focus to be creative.
It’s nice not having the pressure to go to the office every day, but I also really liked the days at the office. It’s a great time to socialise and get to know people better while getting some insights from industry experts.
This flexible working environment was great for me, as I managed to work from different places. I worked many times at the Curzon cinema, located in Aldgate, as it also has a workspace with comfortable chairs and tables for your laptop. The place was perfect for meetings, as it was quiet and professional. Other times I worked near my place at PRET or Starbucks.
S: Finally, I would like to know about your experience working in London and the people you met.
D: I enjoyed it a lot! I was always so excited to meet everyone for the first time. Getting to know people from different countries and cultures was incredible for me. It’s so nice to see and hear about the projects people are working on, having lunch with everyone and getting drinks after work was so fun.
S: Any good memories with the team?
D: Definitely the Christmas party. First, we had some pizza and drinks at the office while doing some games, and we went later to the Barrio Bar to drink some cocktails and have some nice Mexican food. We even had time to show our dance moves :)
S: What are your thoughts about the new office space and the future of Fortnight?
D: It is amazing to have a bigger new office space. There is plenty of space to work together or in private if you have a meeting or just need to focus. Also, it’s really exciting to share the office space with PJE and share ideas and socialise together. I hope to visit the team at the new office in the future when I come back to London.
S: What do you think about the people?
D: I think the working relationships at Fortnight are amazing. Everyone is so respectful, open-minded, helpful, and creative. It is nice to have people with different personalities from all over the world so you can learn from different points of view. The skills they have are also impressive, and I enjoyed learning from them.
I’m already excited to plan my next trip to London to visit everyone at the new office again.
S: From the way you expressed yourself, this has been an amazing experience for you. Would you like to give any tips to anyone who comes after you?
D: I think it’s good to know yourself, your skills, and your goals, so you can focus on improving them and getting closer to achieving your objective.
I think Fortnight was the best place to do my internship and learn from people with deep design knowledge. A big thanks to Fortnight and the team. I hope to come back in the future!
S: Danique, thanks for your time and your thoughtful answers. It has been a pleasure to have you on board. This is the beginning of a long journey where I am sure we will see each other again, perhaps working together in the future.
Good luck with your studies! We are sending you all our best wishes. Fortnight Studio will miss you.
If you're looking for an internship this summer in design, business, marketing and development, get in touch with us now via email.
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