A look inside a design studio
Eight takeaways from my first year in a design agency.
Coming straight from university to working at a design studio like Mission, I didn’t really know what to expect. But I knew it would be very different. Here are some things I have experienced and learned working at Mission for a year.
1. A positive work culture is crucial
A good working environment and culture is essential for wellbeing at work. At Mission I have experienced a culture that is open and welcoming, and a great mix of both fun and focused. We can joke about just about anything (and we do), and there is always a good laugh to be had. But we do serious work, and I believe collaboration is an important key to our success. When someone needs help with something, it’s easy to just ask. Not just being able to ask questions, but others asking me for my opinion has been very important for me. Even though I’m among the least experienced, I feel that I’m really able to make a difference and contribute with my own abilities and knowledge.
2. Projects can be challenging
One of the most challenging project I have been a part of this year has been the annual report for EVRY, which I did with senior designer Hege. For this project, I was given the responsibility for the digital edition of the report, which meant translating the design from printed matter to web. This was definitely a challenge and a real puzzle to solve at times. Being responsible for the digital report also meant communicating with a team of programmers to turn my design sketches into code. Having some prior experience with code came in handy, but nonetheless, working across different disciplines like this was an important experience for me. With the project starting at the end of 2018 and launching in April, this was an intense and comprehensive project — a real challenge for sure.
“Getting the opportunity and trust to design a visual identity from scratch was exciting and a lot of fun.”
3. Projects can be rewarding
In November, I got the chance to work on a logo and visual identity for Noteworthy Books, our own publisher for our recent book. This was a project where Julie and I were given a lot of freedom in designing a solution. Getting the opportunity and trust to design a visual identity from scratch was exciting and a lot of fun. Through the process I also got experience with presenting my design solutions, argumentation being a crucial ingredient. Along the way I recieved great guidance from our design director Karl Martin. The result is something I’m really proud of. Seeing the Noteworthy logo go from sketches to finish — to foilstamped on our very own book Point of purpose — has been very rewarding. There are few things as worthwhile as seeing your design come to life.
4. Things you don’t learn at university
The day-to-day life in a studio compared to university is definitely a big change. I’m someone who likes structure and routine, so going to work at the same time every day has actually been quite nice. In terms of working with projects, there have also been some changes. At university I was used to doing my own projects from start to finish, but when working in a studio you don’t always get to do that. A lot of the time you might have to jump into a project midway, or do work based on an already established visual expression. When I started working at Mission, most of the ongoing projects were at the end phase and I had to jump in to help with the implementation of a design I had not been a part of creating. This was new and challenging, but I have learned a lot from it.
Also, communicating with customers (mostly by e-mail) was not something I had done much of. It felt scary at first, but I’m glad I got the opportunity and responsibility early on to communicate with customers directly. Inki, the studio’s client director and the other team members have helped me along the way.
5. Work is not always predictable
One important thing I have experienced working a year at a design studio like Mission is that the workload can vary a lot. There are periods when the pace is slower and there are periods when the workload is immense. The most intense periods, juggling four to five projects at the same time, have definitely been challenging, and sometimes it has felt a bit overwhelming. These periods have forced me to be structured and effective, and once I have pulled through, the better is the reward of having accomplished.
6. Sharing is caring
I have always enjoyed sharing my knowledge with others, and I’ve been able to do so not only through working with the other designers here at Mission, but also through writing. At Mission we call this Insights. In my first year, I have written two blog posts (this being my third). In December I wrote Rebranding of three famous brands in 2018, where I reviewed three big brands that rebranded in 2018, scoring them from 1 to 6. In March this year, I published a blog post with the title Is simplification of brands a consequence of digitisation?. In that post I wrote about how brands have been simplified over the last years, what could be the cause and what implications it can have.
“I have learned that it’s the sum of all things that make for a coherent brand.”
7. There’s more to a brand identity than you can see at first
Working in a branding-focused design studio I’ve learned how much work that actually goes into creating a brand identity. Once a visual identity is designed and approved, that’s when the real job starts — implementing the design. For a brand to be consistent, it needs to be applied to every surface. This means not only business cards, but also the website, every Word and Powerpoint document, posters, brochures, uniforms, signage, desktop backgrounds and social media — everything needs to be designed. Designing templates for Word may not be the most exciting thing to do, but I have learned that it’s the sum of all things that make for a coherent brand.
8. Having a passion can impact your work
Digital design is my passion — designing user experiences that are intuitive, functional and easy-to-use. I believe in putting the user into focus and thinking about how he or she interacts with a website, an app or a service, and not just how something looks aesthetically. Luckily, I have been able to contribute to multiple digital projects, for Eika, AKJ and EVRY. And hopefully, more digital projects will land on my desk again soon. I’m ready.
This article was written by Espen Benoni and was first published on Mission’s website. Find out what other fascinating issues we write about.
