Week 12
Blog 14- My final week on placement!
I actually cannot believe that I have came to the end of my placement. It has literally flew in- I feel as though I was just getting started! I thought it would be nice to end my blog on a reflective note and have an honest recap on the whole experience. I honestly don’t know where to begin when talking about how grateful I am for work experience. Don’t worry- this blog will not turn into a sob story but I think it is so important to appreciate something that has not only helped you on a professional level, but your own personal life as well.
This year has been difficult for everyone and I was dreading doing Uni online for another semester. It was so demotivating and made me re think my actual career path. I lost a lot of confidence in my work and skills. I almost felt like my work was done half-hearted and lacked so much enthusiasm. I am so grateful to Karim for taking me on board and to the Uni for allowing me to take on his work placement offer. I think the biggest thing that makes me so happy is that, I know it sounds so cliché, but I genuinely didn’t see this placement as work, I actually wanted to do the work. I think this came down to having independence and working in the design field I wish to do once I graduate from Uni- Interior design. In the beginning it was daunting- I sort of thought that a work placement you would be shadowing someone and just taking notes, but I was thrown right into the deep end, which was the best thing for me.
Even when there were weeks things slowed down or a client didn’t like something- it amazes me how much I have matured from these experiences in a small amount of time. I always take feedback on the chin and listen to my lecturers, but there’s always that down feeling you get. But in my opinion, getting into the real life world and hitting these obstacles is what it’s all about. Your client still wants you as the their designer, they still have full trust in you. They are picking up on something because they know you are capable of designing an alternative design. I don’t want to come across as being cocky, but I think it puts into perspective that I am good at what I am doing and that when I leave Uni, I will be able to do what I dream off. I find it extremely motivating when I am set a new challenge- whether that is a new project or a client wanting an alternative design.
In terms of the learning, there were weeks where I felt I actually lacked skill in things like Sketchup. At the time, it did get me down, but through consistency and time, I have broadened my knowledge in this. In the end, screenshots of a Sketchup will look the same, but the work put into them, is more time efficient, more professional and most importantly a learning curve. I think this also leads into quality over quantity. I assumed when I was starting placement that I would complete multiple projects over the 12 week period. I literally only done 2 projects- yes, some weeks I took a bit longer than I should have, but I can honestly say that I have submitted the work to the client to the best of my ability.
We all know that life isn’t normal just now and I think we would be lying if we said we didn’t lack motivation at some point this year. If there was one thing I could change about my placement, I think it would be to have more of an office based experience- being in amongst like minded people. Another big factor would be going on site visits and actually meeting your client- seeing their face when you show them something you’ve been working on. I think that is one of the most awesome feelings ever is seeing how you can impact someone’s life and how much they appreciate it. As designers, we thrive off of things and people around us- it is my motivation. But I suppose the biggest positive factor from this is that I am capable off doing the work from home. I have managed to do this with what materials I have and in the end it has been just as effective.
The one thing that I look forward to returning to Uni for, is using my new skills such as collaging and renders in CAD. It amazes me the difference in my work within a semester. It has encouraged me and will continue to make me go out of my comfort zones and take constructive criticism on board.
