Why I Chose to Intern at a Non-Graphic Design Studio

Writer's Note: To protect any names or brands, I will not use the actual names or display pictures that directly show the brand of the company or anything related to it.


September last year, I faced the toughest decision in my entire university period. Three offers came to me all at once. Each of these offers promises a great opportunity for me that would contribute to my future design career. One thing for sure at that point: I would skip Fall semester to do either one of these offers, which was truly a blessing after continuously taking classes at school.

Two of the promising offers were for internship, something I really needed to fill out some blank space in my resume. On early June, I attended an on-campus recruitment event, where I got to sit down and talk with potential employers. Out of four interviews, I scored two of them.

The first offer was an internship in a private jet company/manufacturer in Space Coast, Florida. Let's call it The Company. They are a huge, international company of up to 1,000 employees worldwide with a strict corporate setting. But I'd get to work in their design team along with a team of engineers and interior designers. No questions asked. The pay was really good as a design intern and even more, the opportunity would provide me with a housing, which I would share with a fellow intern from Art Center. This particular offer came really fast and only required two interviews. One on-site and one over the phone. I got the position a day or two after the phone call. My supervisor provided all kinds of information I needed and what to prepare for the internship should I pursue this chance.

At the Wizarding World of Harry Potter

The other one – the more anticipated one – came about a week after the first offer. It was an internship offer at a branding/entertainment studio in Venice, California with a list of notable movie and TV production houses as their clients. Let's call it The Studio. As both an avid moviegoer and a designer, my dream has always been to work in a movie studio or an entertainment-oriented design studio. So when this opportunity landed in my email (after two rounds of interview that is; the second one required me to come to the studio, chatted with the team, and pulled allnighter to create a 100-page process book on my branding project they were interested in), I couldn't be more ecstatic. A studio environment will be a rewarding experience for every aspiring designer to grow to be more professional.

Last but not least, another offer came later in the week: I got accepted in the Berlin Study Abroad program. My one and only door to go to Europe was finally here. I always wanted to go to Berlin ever since I took German at high school. I would work exclusively in a studio environment, meet with renowned figures in the design industry (one of which turned out to be Erik Spiekermann), and come back to US a more professional designer.

I had two remaining weeks to consider which option I would pick. After much consideration, with a heavy heart, I had to let go the Berlin program due to financial issue. That issue aside, at this point, all I needed at that point was a working experience to boost my career, not another studying opportunity. “You can go to Europe anytime. Even better, go there for a vacation instead for a study abroad program.” my roommate added. So two offers remained, and this is where the toughest moment took place.

Two offers. Two different types of companies. Two different geographical locations. Two contrasting cultures. One opportunity. I couldn't take more than one internship as I needed to graduate on summer. Taking more than one would mean I couldn't graduate at a desired time.

First scenario: Take The Studio's offer. Working in Venice, one of the most hipster, design-oriented corners in LA, in an area adjacent to the beach with fellow design studios right next door, is every designer's dream. I couldn't think of anything better than spending a day in an intense yet laid back environment with a pug snuggling at your feet as you are designing. Then your day would end with a tennis game at the backyard or a walk to the beach. The best thing of all is, you still get to stay in the sunkissed LA.

Second scenario: Take The Company's offer where I'd be working in a small town named Melbourne and no, it's not down under. God knows where Melbourne is, the one in Florida. It's barely even visible on the map. The only things I know of Florida were its extreme humidity, airboat, NASA, Miami, Disney World (which is the only place I've been to in Florida beforehand), and aligators loitering the streets like stray cats. Apparently Melbourne is an hour drive from Orlando (weekend trips to Disney World yay!). Just located South East of it, to be exact. This company wouldn't have any dogs snuggling at your feet or a pool table at the backyard. The office is located near the Melbourne airport. So even if I haven't visited the office yet, I could sense a strong corporate environment. I had zero idea about Melbourne nor what to do there. As a big city kid, things to do like attractions or eating spots are extremely crucial.

A sneak peak of my studio

I was torn between the two options. I remember when I first got the offer to the intern at the Company, I called my dad who's been around for a while in the aviation Industry. “Are you familiar with the Company?” I asked. “Yes, it's the third largest business jet manufacturer in the world. Why?” He answered, to which I told him that they offered me an internship. My dad couldn't be more excited. He told me he went on telling his friends the next day about the news. He said that his friends asked him who helped me get the position at The Company, to which my dad replied, rather proudly “She did it on her own!” (Note: In Indonesia, it is not strange for kids to get an internship experience through family connection).

My dad strangely gave me the freedom to choose. But it's a different case to my mom, who's more concerned about me choosing a more renowned company. The Company certainly has a big name. It's the kind of name that you want to brag to your friends back home because it just sounds so fancy. However, it is not much acknowledged in the graphic design industry but I totally understand that since most design students ever working in The Company are industrial designers.

The Studio, despite being a smaller company by nature, has more significance to my expertise, although they'd pay me less than The Company. My mom, a realist, threatened me the other day. “If you end up choosing The Studio, I won't send you additional money anymore. You have to live up from your salary.” in a bitter tone.

After asking my parents, I turned to my friends and faculty. They all gave me diverse answers. Most encouraged me to go for The Studio, due to its significant nature to my expertise. “There's no design in Florida.” some stated. A small portion pushed me to go to The Company due to its higher pay and more chance for me to experience a whole different culture. “Since you're an international student, I'd encourage you take an opportunity that's not in LA. It'll give you a wider insight and experience about your studies here in US.” said a design faculty, much to my surprise. I'd expect he pushed me to go for The Studio like the rest of my friends.

A week later, two weeks before the end of the term, I decided to follow my guts and went forward with The Company, a rather big move for me that required leaving California for four months to live in God-knows-where. Again, with a heavy heart in this final round, I had to eliminate The Studio.

Many would later ask me why I ended up choosing The Company despite it being less significant or influential to my graphic design expertise. Many would think I made a wrong move and my internship experience was pointless. Instead of zooming in, I decided to look at the bigger picture. The experience in the Company promises so much more aspects that would contribute to my career, and it's not just expertise-wise but also on my overall maturity and personality growth. I knew nothing about Melbourne, what it's like to live down there, what kind of people I'd be working with, how the people would treat me, and how different they'd be from people in LA.

These anxiety, uncertainty, and unawareness of The Company setting drove me to finding out more. I was driven by the unknown, eager, excited, and curious to find out what lies ahead. My supervisor hired me for a reason that is both compelling to me and to the corporate. The Company saw me as a good fit and I did see a potential in them to contribute to my career. Instead of sitting in a familiar studio environment, I wanted to experience something different. My employer stated that I would be working with a team of interior designers and engineers – multidisciplinary, that is.

I started to wonder if I would be the only graphic designer. If I did end up being the only one, would I still learn something? Would I still gain mentorship? I was worried that nobody would speak the same graphic design language as I do. Nobody would understand what kerning, Helvetica, saturation, value, et cetera. Nobody would be as anal as I do when it comes to typography. I was worried I'd be placed in such an environment and I'd be crying my eyeballs out begging to reconsider my internship choice.

All in all, I was worried how this internship would come to be. I was worried if I wouldn't be happy to be placed in a setting with bunch type of people I wasn't familiar with. But screw it, I just moved forward.

However, everything changed after four months. I learned so much more than I expected. Despite my friends' doubts and underestimation, the internship turned out to be more rewarding that I expected. Sure I didn't experience the ideal studio environment. Sure I ended up being the only not just a graphic design intern, but a legit graphic designer in the studio during the period. In the first few weeks, I stumbled a little. Working with interior designers in the aviation industry, not a day would be missed without a new vocabulary word. Most words indicate a feature in the airplane. One day I joined a meeting where the word 'fuselage' was thrown over fifty times. At the end of the meeting, I had no idea what on earth a 'fuselage' was. But don't worry, now I do.

Communication is the biggest challenge I encountered throughout my internship program, and that wasn't a bad thing at all. But I had to overcome it. Engineers clearly don't come from the same background as I do. Their thinking process and values defy that of my fellow designers. We all have the share goal but we choose to go on different routes to get there. Fellow engineers, mainly, prioritize execution and technical progress.

They do appreciate visual and concept but they are more concerned in getting a design to work and whether it is do-able. However, an idealistic I am, concept and visual have to come first. Those two different ideas collided. I witnessed as my creative director sat down with engineers during meetings and discussed about the best possible way to create the best experience for the passengers and flight attendants, both from the visual side and the execution side. But ultimately, we all successfully made it happen. We settled on one solution and the project received good response from the headquarter.

At the Everglades National Park, Miami

I believe that there's a lot of blessing in disguise. I happened to have the best two intern mates ever. They are students of Art Center too and we're probably the youngest people in the office. The office life isn't all that strict or corporate-ish. It's interesting how I worked in a studio within the company and that studio happens to have the most casual setting in the entire building. The studio is spacious and there's a lot of room to move – possibly to boost some creativity.

My colleagues and I would work while listening to the music. Sometimes we'd pause and watch the newest movie trailers that came up that Fall. We'd exchange stories, share thoughts, learned new things. Aside from the fun we had at the office, we had a total blast. Melbourne might be a quiet city with retired people as residents. Sure it didn't have all LA glam or the best Asian food. But it surely has the best seafood you'll ever taste. The two interns and I created the best possible memories in our four months period. We made it happen. We witnessed a rocket launch, went to Disney World, went frenzy Black Friday shopping for more than twelve hours in Orlando, we went to the Harry Potter World.

Simply put, I had never had the best four months in my life. They were all filled with memories worth to cherish.

So when you asked me if I regret having a different resume than most graphic design students at my school (who'd fill up their resume with studio experiences), no I don't. As opposed to most of my friends who'd work in a studio/design agency environment, I chose a corporate setting where the least graphic design experience takes place. But there is always a blessing in disguise. I might be the only one in my department that ever interned at an aviation company, the first one probably. You can find experience anywhere. This is where I grow. I learn to understand and appreciate people of different working backgrounds. My internship experience couldn't be more rewarding. I love the diverse environment where my thoughts and voice as the only graphic designer in the room was not only heard but appreciated. I appreciate that my colleagues also learned my skills and in return, I also learned their aesthetics too.

The Company didn't only shape to become a better designer, but a more mature person.

Living in Florida was eye-opening on its own. I was fortunate to know and engage with people way beyond my age range, meeting up with the CEO of Rimowa without actually knowing it was him, and against all odds, I attended an Indonesian arisan (ladies' socializing event) at one point.

Not only that but the experience of moving away from a city I'm so familiar of has helped me grow. Adjusting to a new place is hard and it takes time. On my first meal out in Florida, all eyes stared at me and my fellow intern as we were taking pictures of our food. Those eyes belonged to mostly middle-aged people, who happened to be the dominant population in town. "They're not getting used to seeing young people like us taking pictures." My other friend pointed out. That particular form of culture shock helps me understand other cultures better and helps me shape to be a more dynamic, easily-adaptable persona.

Now the internship phase is over and I'm ready to move forward to a bigger, more real world. I'm afraid to step forward. I'm afraid to experience something different, but don't we all share that phase at some point in our life?

Once in a while, you have to step out of your comfort zone. Go with your guts and don't let fear control you. You never know what blessing you'll encounter once you'll conquer your doubts and fear. Imagine you're a little fish jumping to a bigger pond – the ocean. You'll never know what you'll encounter until you try. But that's where you grow.