Who the LR are you? | John, StudioLR Intern

John, StudioLR Intern

Making my way into the creative industry as a mature graduate has served me well, both throughout this internship experience and all the way back since graduating last year. Having that little bit of extra life experience has meant that reaching out to other creatives, networking and putting myself out there is something I’m a lot more comfortable with. Despite that, the fear that sets in sometimes is still very real!

Now in the second year of John Doe’s UNLOCKED internship scheme, the list of partners involved is even longer. Managing to secure an interview with Studio LR (my first pick!) felt incredible, so when I’d received the news that I’d secured an internship with them, my initial fears turned into a lot of excitement and a little bit of nerves. I was ready to get stuck in.

First day

My first day involved meeting the team and getting up to speed on a few of the projects the team were currently working on. I have an interest in editorial design and luckily, one of the current projects underway was an editorial brief! While the team was finalising work for their first two visual routes, getting ready for client pitching, I was tasked to springboard a third visual route for the documentation in a tight timescale. 

No pressure! 

My first day at Studio LR told me everything I needed to know about the team. It was a little intimidating at first, but being given a task like this, having just set foot in the door actually made me feel more at ease and boosted my confidence! I felt like the team believed in my abilities and wanted me to be involved in projects just as much as I wanted to be involved in them from day one.

The team was so welcoming and accommodating that there wasn’t a single time where I felt like I was pestering anyone. My countless questions and queries were always met with enthusiasm to openly talk about whatever I would be interested in, allowing me to gain valuable insights into: Branding, Copywriting, Print samples, Marketing, Motion design, Advertising Campaigns, Research and Concept stages. 

The rest of the week consisted of getting involved with the rest of the ongoing projects, creating visual assets, assisting in concept stages and with copywriting and marketing ideas. It was a really busy week in the office and everyone was working hard on something. Near the end of my time with the team, a new project had come in. The brief was to create a visual identity for an event and to create a couple of short videos to go along with it. I was tasked with getting started on the concept stage, collecting some initial references, creating mood boards and visualising what both the event and videos might look like. This is when the team started to get to know me and my wacky brain a little bit better. I had a lot of fun with the freedom I had, the team loved my ideas and I’m glad that I could contribute to some real client projects during my time with StudioLR.

I feel like I made the most of my time with the team. Alongside working on the briefs I was given while I was in the studio, I was interested in how the team operates on a daily basis. Every chance I was given, I was being proactive and invested in everything going on around the office, asking to sit in on meetings with clients, status meetings and print consultations. If it was happening while I was there, I wanted to see it. I thought that my time in these meetings would mostly be spent observing and taking notes, but I was made to feel like I was a member of the team. Whenever I was asked for, or had given my opinion on anything, those opinions were being heard and listened to. 

 Personal highlights with StudioLR

One personal highlight definitely includes attending the studio’s weekly status meeting, something that I was forewarned might be “pretty boring”. This meeting brings attention to every project currently ongoing from the first point of contact with clients to the final stages of work. I gained more valuable insights into the way that the workload is spread out between the team, learning how they prioritise projects and thoroughly enjoyed the meeting! 

Another is being schooled in a brand strategy masterclass with Dave King. Dave walked me through the development of one of their current client’s branding and how brands can still get it wrong by trying to be too much. It was amazing to see how StudioLR pitches these longer and more in depth projects to clients, scratching way below the surface. Finding a brand's core values, defining their positioning in the market, resonating with the right audiences and then creating a unique brand narrative that caters to those audiences requires so much thought, time and expertise to get it right.

I feel very lucky I was given the opportunity to have a peek behind the curtain in an area I have a lot of interest in. 

Thanks UNLOCKED

UNLOCKED has given me the opportunity to be seen by top tier creatives. In what can only be described as a rough time for graduates in the creative industry, I really feel like the importance of these internship schemes cannot be overstated. I would prefer my first role to be in a team setting in a studio where I can grow quickly as a designer, so I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with Studio LR, gaining that valuable experience, and proud to have been a part of the UNLOCKED scheme.