Present

This year I have done external learning activities in the form of an internship with a national company. As a designer driven by the desire to create memorable experiences, an internship in the event industry perfectly aligned with my vision. The attention and work required to create unforgettable moments at events or festivals aren’t always seen or appreciated, but they do have a subconscious impact on people’s emotions and well-being. Because of my interest in the events industry, I started reaching out to companies, which ultimately led to my internship at ROXXI.

ROXXI is a stage and space design company, known for designing decoration for festivals like Paaspop, Extrema Outdoor and Intents, but also may be known for designing stands and activations for brands like Coca Cola and Bacardi. I was part of the 3D design team and with my internship I aimed to design a reusable decorative unit, which could be placed at multiple festivals, going through all stages of a design process, while also being involved in different phases of other projects.

Internship Goals

  1. Developing my technical skills, through working with 3D modelling software, but also through hands-on work with electronics and various materials.
  2. Designing my personal project with a circular approach and exploring the perspective of the event industry on sustainability.
  3. Developing my presenting skills, aiming to get more confident to speak in front of others and focus on the preparation and visual appearance of my presentations.
  4. Get knowledge and experience of working in company, becoming aware of organizational structure, the role of an intern in a company, and the role of designers in the event industry.

Internship Reflection

First I improved my technical skills through the development of many hard skills. Within the internship, I  actively learned to work with new software programs; SketchUp for 3D modelling and Lumion for 3D rendering, I also improved in working with Autodesk Fusion 360 for 3D modelling. Additionally, I developed my hands-on skills, electrical and material knowledge through active prototyping. The development of these hard skills contributed to my development in MDC, TR and CA, computing new technologic programs to express myself in new ways.

I approached my personal internship project with a circular approach. The prototype was designed with modular parts, efficient for storage and reuse. The electronics used in the final prototype were waste or left over LED strips and cables unused by ROXXI. Although the design is made using a circular approach, it is not completely circular, as it is a lamp, which uses power and the design does not give back to the environment. Furthermore I aimed to explore how the event industry positions itself towards sustainability and I quickly found out by talking to colleagues that it is not a main focus in the event industry, and sustainable stages go often at cost of the aesthetic quality, and with my position as intern in the company, it was not possible to promote a circular approach through the stage designs.

 

Within my goal to develop my presentation skills, I developed an understanding of the importance of storytelling in presenting to enable clearer and more engaging communication with stakeholders, with this I developed my knowledge in the BE and US expertise areas. Furthermore, I learned working with Adobe Photoshop and Illustrator, programs that will enhance the graphic quality and visual language of my presentations, contributing to my development in CA.

In terms of company experience, the internship provided valuable insight into professional practice within the event and festival industry. I learned how a stage-design company is structured, how interdisciplinary teams collaborate, and what is expected from an intern in a professional environment. I also became familiar with the network of companies and freelancers involved in realizing large-scale stages at events. This understanding of organizational processes and collaboration contributed to my development within BE. Company projects were unfortunately prioritized over my personal intern project, often delaying progress and presenting opportunities, being treated as employee rather than intern.

Vision development

Past year I have learned new things about myself which helped me shape my new and updated vision for the upcoming semester. Sustainability was an important factor in my previous vision because it felt like a moral enforcement to include this, although I aim to focus on the creation of experiences that make people connect and focus on the effects of these experiences on mental wellbeing. With my new vision I therefore decide to centralize around the design of experiences that bring people together and be aware and enjoy the moments they are in, rather than centralizing my designs around sustainability. I still aim to practice a circular approach to design, through mindful material choice and design for efficiency and reuse, but I feel like it is not the core of my design vision.

Goals for FBP

With B3.2 almost at its end I am looking forward to my Final Bachelor Project (FBP) in which I can do a completely self-directed project in a design field of my choice. My first goal is to keep developing my presenting skills with a new focus on storytelling, trying to let the listener experience, to really get people interested in your design or product. Additionally, I want to apply the skills I learned in graphic design to visually enhance my future designs and presentations. 

Secondly, I want to apply and further develop my technical skills. With my internship and new Machine learning, programming and 3d modelling knowledge from courses like Designing connected experiences, Intelligent Interactive product design and Design Actuated Systems, I have a strong technical base and I am very open to learn new software (e.g. Blender & TouchDesigner) to add to my toolkit and combine with previous knowledge.

Within my FBP, I want to combine my interest in festivals and experience design with the alignment of industrial design. I want to do my project within Artfice, because there I will get the freedom to do this type of project.