Q&A with Sam Mitchell, our design intern

Now he is at the end of his time with Team, we thought it would be a great opportunity to ask Sam to reflect on what this year has meant to him, and how it will hopefully shape the next steps in his career:

– TB: Tom Brooks, asking the questions
– SM: Sam Mitchell, design intern

TB: Why did you want to do an internship, and what did you hope to get from it?

SM: Well one of the deciding factors in choosing Brunel University to begin with was the fact that it offered the opportunity to do a placement year. I thought it would be a great opportunity to help me build upon real-world knowledge that I might not be able to get at University. And in terms of what I wanted to get out of the placement, I hoped that I would be involved in live briefs, learn things to help develop my portfolio, and perhaps build a relationship with a company that I’d like to work for in the future.

TB: What did you expect from your internship with Team?

SM: I expected a challenge, and I expected to be thrown into a field of design that I realistically didn’t know all the ins and outs of, but I didn’t expect to be as much a part of the design team as I was made to feel, and that was great. It was rewarding to be given that responsibility throughout the year, as I expected that interns were given a bit of a label, but it wasn’t like that at all. That’s one of the reasons why I liked Team, I knew there would be a good chance I would be able to get immersed and involved with real-work.

TB: Thinking back to your first few days, what work did you get chance to do?

SM: From day one there was live project work to complete. It was this baptism of fire that shaped the rest of the placement experience. It has been an opportunity to put into practice the skills learnt whilst studying.

There was a period of continuing work from the previous Brunel intern, and a lot of new projects were beginning just as I was starting. I remember looking at my notebook at the end of my first or second week, and seeing that I had a list of 5 live projects I was already involved in. That was quite daunting, but it helped me get up to speed with a whole range of stuff relatively quickly.

TB: What did you enjoy most during your time at Team?

SM: The experience at Team was extremely rewarding and was arguably the most valued part of the placement. I have been privileged to attend a total of three London based user studies during my time at Team. These ranged from device and accessory use with current users, to IFU comprehension with experienced surgeons. This was a priceless opportunity to see how the material I worked on performed in simulated use scenarios.

Also, getting involved in the social side of the company was a lot of fun. From numerous cycling events to weekends away with Team, there always seemed to be something going on. As well as purely self-indulgent outings, there were also numerous charity events including the infamous Cambridge Chariots of Fire and the British Heart Foundation cycle from Oxford to Cambridge.

TB: What are you going to take forward with you for your final year at Brunel?

SM: The connections I have made during the year have been especially valuable to me, as well as the mix of experiences working with clients, suppliers and different project teams. It has given me confidence to challenge thinking in the professional environment. I think this year has given me a good work ethic, given me realistic expectations of work, and has shown me the value of being an intern and a junior designer.

As a designer, this year has taught me that my interests lie in user experience and aesthetics. These are inherently linked and exploiting that link is one of the cornerstones of “good” design. This is certainly an area of design that I shall be spending time to explore within my final year of university.

TB: What impact will your internship have on your future career?

SM: I have discovered that a career is much more than the work. Being part of a company that has such a rich social culture has been transformative in understanding what it is that is important to me in a job. A healthy work-life balance and plenty of physical activity is certainly at the top of that list. I hope I will be able to employ this mind-set within my final year of university to have both a fulfilling and enjoyable year.

TB: What advice would you give to interns just starting a placement year?

SM: An internship can give you great experience of the real-world of work. It is essentially an opportunity to “test drive” a company, and for them to also see what you have to offer. However it’s not just about the work! Quite quickly you realise all the other factors that make somewhere a good place to work in.

It is definitely something I would recommend to other students, and would maybe even consider again in the future in order to open doors into new organisations.

Sadly it’s time to say goodbye to Sam. From us all at Team, we’ve enjoyed having you here and you’ve contributed a great deal. We all wish you the best of luck in your final year.

And in case you missed it, Sam recently posed a question on the archetypal form of a pDMI, it’s definitely worth a read.