I N T E R N S H I P A T D E S I G N J U N C T I O N

Summer is now becoming a distant memory; crazy how now that university work has properly started to pile on me i keep trying to find time to post about my internship at DesignJunction for London Design Festival 2013, so now i'm forcing to make time! Design Festival happens each year in September and is London Fashion Week's alternative to interior and architectural design.

Whilst i was doing my own mini projects i wanted to do an internship this summer and i kept sending a chunk full of emails starting with the normal 'Dear so and so... my best attributes are.. and i'll be of great benefit to your firm because...' but that didn't go too well because i didn't receive many emails back and i'm quite persistant but through this whole process i realised calling the firms up after an email is the way forward and that's exactly how i became an intern in London.

 I've lived in London previously so the area around Tottenham Court Road was pretty familiar, but i can't say the same thing about the work. Now if you've ever seen me in real life, i'm very slim, a little tall and little on the loco side and i'm not saying i'm not strong,  mentally yes, but physically... er, No. I can barely carry and push my suitcase onto a train let alone carrying boxes of chairs, tables, worktops... yes, you name it, I was carrying it all and my little feeble weak body carrying anything heavier than a mouse is a joke especially up three flights of stairs.

So by the end of my third day into work i was so crippled that i could barely get my foot up one step and telling myself 'pain is beauty' was not working. Surprisingly, the next day i was as good as new, running around like a monkey to do the last set up stages before private viewings and the RIBA breakfast, we were very much ready.


I was even more surprised that i still made it alive, but to be honest it was the best experience i've had in such along time. The other interns i worked with were more or less in the art and design sector and because i was one the youngest and one of three still at university they helped me understand what it will be like when i graduate, how important making connections are and being consistent and persistent (i love it when they rhyme).

 For the next week and a half these 13 interns were my mini family, when one struggled we all helped out and who could forget our boss, George. He was the boss of the interns, with his yellow book of iterniries and his walkie talkie, he was always needed.


The first day, George split myself and the rest of the interns into 3 groups. One group was placed at the entrance, another group was placed at the back for the VIP entrance and the last group was based on the VIP floor. If you wanted to make contacts this would be the start of it all and studying architecture had its benefits as there were alot of architects and architect assistants around.


At the end of the private viewing, we got to go the The Hospital club, where the after-party for the VIPs were held. A very lavish bar that overlooked the London eye and a very peculiar white clock room that had us interns feel like we could relax, but 15 minutes in we decided to head home as we knew that the 8 am the next morning was no joke especially as the RIBA breakfast was at 10 am that morning too and would be a great platform for me to get advice and more connections.

Standing just outside Jamie Oliver's Barbecoa restaurant, which was inside DesignJunction that next morning was scary.  I don't want to lie to you and tell you it was easy breezy when it wasn't, but standing around all these architects made me realise if i really want to carry on with my course, i've got to talk to them (nike). So i went for it and started talking and from then on, i just kept talking to different people, exhibitors, architects, artists and designers. One architect even made me more determined on what i want to do for my sandwhich course.


The next three/ four days went so fast and i swear none of us interns could no longer contain our laughter especially at the entrance and if it wasn't George sneaking us food from the streetfeast or cocktails from the free bar, we were having long conversations with the public and press sometimes even trying to learn the language if they were from abroad.



By this time we were able to see more of what was going on when it came to the exhibitors and because we had to work alot during the start and closing of each days events we only had a few hours to really experience each element.
Exhibitors like VW+ BS, Modus, Tony Miles, Sharon Marston and her intriguing shaped lights.

Kyla McCallum's abstract origami lights.


As it got to the 4pm on the Last day, Sunday, it was kind of sad and having to close and pack everything away for the next few days made it more real that the old post office was no longer DesignJunction.



Soon enough it was just the old warehouse again and the only evidence that showed DesignJunction had been there, were the many walls that we, as interns had spent many hours painting. I now have learnt not to underestimate people who say they are tired after painting one wall in their house,it's not easy! On the last day, we all celebrated at the pub and made our way up the endless stairs outside the Tate museum that so many people were raving about (going up those stairs felt like i was going up the stairs at DesignJunction to be honest, no difference. DesignJunction stairs were even better).
 

We found ourselves eating at Vapianos for our last meal and finally parting ways. Through working at DesignJunction for the little amount of time that we had, it taught me so much about really being hardworking, team work and how laughter really is the best medicine! My confidence has improved so much especially in my work and also in terms of the industry i want to go into.



I really don't think painting walls will ever be the same again...