Design Central’s Post

We are happy to introduce to you our Summer Intern, Johnny Henderson. Johnny will support our Innovation Team, located at our Elmhurst facility. 1. Tell me about your educational background & what inspired you to pursue your career / education path? I have always been a STEM Person, but it hasn’t always been clear to me to do Engineering. I attended Princeton University for 1 year and felt confused as to the path I should take going forward, and did not consider engineering, so I decided to take a gap year to see what I really wanted to do. I discovered that Loyola University had a new Engineering Program and enrolled in Loyola instead of going back to Princeton. I fell in love with engineering due to Loyola’s Program. There, I was able to make great connections with my professors and fellow students.   2. What attracted you to this internship?   The Innovation Internship described to me seemed really up my alley. Based on the tasks at hand, I could use the skills I learned in college and apply them to real work situations. In college, I did a lot of prototyping projects and I like that this internship is ground level engineering. I will be able to come up with solutions for future problems.   3. Where do you see yourself 5 years into your career?   I hope to either be starting / finishing a Masters in Engineering. I hope to be focusing on projects that I gravitate towards and that I am excited to be a part of.   4. What would you say your greatest non-work accomplishment is?   I would say that pushing myself to try new things and get out of my comfort zone has been one of my major personal accomplishments. During my gap year, I lived in South America with a family that did not speak English, while living with them I was able to learn a new culture and how to navigate the unknown and get comfortable with uncomfortable.   5. What do you like to do in your free time?   I like to be outdoors as much as possible – I like spending time on the lake or skiing whenever I get the chance. I also like to make bad music and can play the guitar. Please join us in welcoming Johnny to our team!

Collaboration, drawings, clay models, and a presentation: all in a day's work for our summer interns. Here's a glimpse into Intern Design Day at RAMSA. #summerintern #summerinternship #designintern #designinternship #architectureinternship

Here’s a sneak peek into my business card design process for the internship! 💼✨ This screen recording showcases how I combined professional aesthetics with practical layout elements. Creating this design taught me the art of making a lasting impression in a compact space. #BusinessCardDesign #GraphicDesign #InternshipExperience #DesignProcess

Principal Pina Petricone will speak today at the AMPS Los Angeles Conference 2025 at Cal State University. Her lecture “Design Research | Research Design: A New Model for Experiential Learning in the Design Disciplines,” presents a new, experiential learning model that rethinks traditional ‘practical experience’ in the current context of virtual learning. The unique Design Research Internship Project (DRIP) is a curricular initiative designed to model a new, high-impact teaching practice for senior undergraduate students in the design disciplines. The DRIP program was created by Pina Petricone, associate professor of architecture at the Daniels Faculty at the University of Toronto. Highlighting the unique Design Research Internship Project (DRIP), this session presents a new model for experiential learning that rethinks internships to go beyond traditional ‘practical experience.’ It speculates on the capacity for architecture internships to bridge academic knowledge with professional projects with the presupposition that multifaceted, critical research is intrinsic to design practice. Read more about the DRIP program here: https://lnkd.in/dArdKUc5

Week 4: Practical Insights & Reflections Day 27: How I Handle Design Challenges "Design is as much about solving problems as it is about creativity. From working within tight budgets to optimizing challenging layouts, every hurdle is an opportunity to learn and grow. During my internship, I’ve realized that innovative thinking and adaptability are key to turning constraints into opportunities. What’s your approach to tackling design challenges? Let’s share insights! #DesignChallenges #ProblemSolving #LearningCurve #InteriorDesignJourney"

Have you ever thought about whether the pressure we're under to get internships is normal? Because it's kind of insane. I don't know about you, but for me, it started my first year of design school and has gotten worse ever since. Here are the results from a poll I posted last week, which people from all over the world answered... In some places, it's uncommon to have more than one design internship before graduating, and in other places, three might feel like a minimum. 🤯 It was comforting to see that about 40% of you only had one internship during college, some of you even had zero, and you all seem to be doing great for yourselves! If you were part of the 5%, how'd you do it, and most importantly, how'd you find the time? I don't believe that our career success relies on the number of internships we get, and I know that there are plenty of other ways to gain experience and advance our careers, but I also can't deny that internships are important. There's a reason we want them: job experience, looks good on a resume, career exploration, being able to practice what we've learned—the list goes on. Under the original post, Alessio Caddeo explained to me how different the norm was in Italy compared to the U.S., and now I'm curious to know what the culture surrounding design internships is like in other countries and universities. I'm also curious to know how times have changed. So, let's have a chat, because I want to know what goes on outside of my little bubble, and I think you might also... What are your opinions on the pressure we put on students to get internships? What was the norm when you graduated? What's the general culture like surrounding internships in your country? And finally, what's the pressure like at YOUR design school? - 👋 I'm Rebecca Scarbrough, an Industrial Design student at Georgia Tech and the Founder of Design Does That, a blog dedicated to observing the field of design from a student's perspective Follow me if you'd like to tag along throughout my design school experience! Let's go on this journey together 🌱💪 #industrialdesign #designer #designersoflinkedin #designstudents #womenindesign #designschool #designeducation

I feel this! I graduated with zero internships under my belt. My school (SCAD) also did studio-type courses with different brands and companies to help entire classes get some real-world experience, but I didn't do any of those either. I think I relate to Brad in that it did make it a little harder to start out. I ended up taking a "leap of faith" by leaving the city I was in for a bigger job pool (NYC) and luckily it worked out. However, I don't feel it set me back too far, and by the time I was leaving my first career job I felt like I had made good progress in skills, experience, and networking. As someone who now reviews resumes and screens candidates, I don't put much value into an internship unless it's a program I'm familiar with. I tend to look more at portfolios- though if I see more than 2 internships on a resume my expectations are raised quite a bit. Looking back, I do think having an internship would have made life easier for these two reasons: 1) Networking, and getting to know how teams work beyond just "the designers" and 2) Having non-school projects to showcase in a portfolio Both of these things are still within reach of any design student, regardless of internship opportunities

A few weeks ago I have finished my internship at TEAMS in Hamburg! Thanks so much for these insightful six month with all the interesting projects I have worked on as well as the amazing teamspirit with the creative atmosphere and all the fun activities and events! Hochschule Hannover #Internship #Industrialdesign #Productdesign #Industriedesign #Produktdesign #Design #productdesign #design #rendering #designinternship #designstudent #sketching #designsketching #cad #photoshop #rendering #sketches #strategicdesign #userexperience

Confused about how to make your architecture internship actually count? You’re not alone. 💭 Many architecture students feel overwhelmed by their first step into the professional world. What should you focus on? How do you impress? And how do you navigate an office when everything feels new? Don't just survive your internship—thrive in it. In our upcoming Insyd Connect Session, we’re diving deep into: 🔹 Office survival 101: How to adapt quickly and fit in 🔹 What’s worth your time: Priorities that’ll make you stand out 🔹 Mindset shift: From student to future architect ✨ Led by Ar. Saumya Bansal (Co-founder, Insyd), she’ll be sharing her real-world insights and answering your burning questions about choosing the right office and getting the most out of your experience. 📅 26th Oct, 3 PM 💻 Register FREE now to submit your questions in advance: https://lnkd.in/gQygvA93 Don’t miss this opportunity to transform your internship into a career springboard!