Experience
WILD interns - WILD stories
Every year, we "host" interns from all over the world in our offices in Germany and China. We are delighted to be able to accompany and support them as they take their first steps in their careers - be it in product or communication design. Their new, fresh perspectives and unique experiences from their home country create a more dynamic working environment for us - enhancing our design standards in each of the projects we work on.
An internship at WILDDESIGN usually lasts three to six months. Many of our interns are still studying and choose WILDDESIGN to fulfill their internship experience required for graduation. After their internship, some decide to continue their "design adventure" in another country, at a completely different end of the world. And sometimes one or the other stays a little longer - in one of our offices in Gelsenkirchen, Shanghai or Munich.
It also happens that the paths of our interns take very unconventional forms and, for example, lead them back to WILDDESIGN at the end of their internship - but then to one of the other WILDDESIGN offices. This is what happened to Andrew and Alejandro, who started their adventure in Gelsenkirchen and are now continuing their careers in the Shanghai office. Or they continue to work freelance for WILDDESIGN. These are interns like Emily from Cincinnati, who writes exciting stories for us, or Bhagyashri from Mumbai, who supports us with her great graphic and illustrative skills in various projects.
As equal opportunities are an important criterion for us, all our offices provide internship shared flats (including the brand new Munich office soon ;-). Our interns can live in these flats free of charge during their stay at WILDDESIGN. These shared flats are conveniently located not too far from the offices. Our interns also receive a small amount of financial support for food and personal expenses.
And now we would like to introduce you to some of our interns - with their very personal, "wild" stories. They tell us what valuable skills they have acquired at WILDDESIGN and what their best experience and craziest memory was.
Read the stories of some of our "wild interns" (and see what they've become by clicking on their name and visiting their Linkedin profile) We are so proud that they started their careers at WILDDESIGN!
Carolina Villalobos from Colombia
February to June 2015 / Shanghai / Product design
Three of the most valuable skills learned or developed during the WILDDESIGN internship:
- how to turn the different ideas from a creative meeting into applicable solutions before the deadline
- how to build strong application scenarios to better support project development
- how I can integrate my own personal strengths into teamwork to achieve more effective work results
My best experience during the WILDDESIGN internship:
Experiencing that my colleagues are more like family than coworkers, learning and sharing different professional skills in such an international team - like designing consumer electronics for one of the most innovative companies in Asia (Xiaomi) - and having the opportunity to test the prototypes that emerged from the design process. But most of all, I enjoyed the opportunity to work with European design standards for the Asian market, incorporating the latest technological standards.
I would recommend an internship at WILDDESIGN to others because...:
...WILDDESIGN is a dynamic company with a lot of design experience and offers prospective designers insights into interesting projects to further develop their personal skills.
My best/ craziest memory of the WILDDESIGN internship:
Was when I was allowed to lead a creative meeting with almost all colleagues (including the brand team) to work on a contribution to an application scenario analysis in a single room. At the end of the day, we had a wall full of post-its showing new concepts for the ongoing project.
Alejandro Lara-Hernandez from Spain
February to July 2013 / Gelsenkirchen / Product design
Three of the most valuable skills learned or developed during the WILDDESIGN internship:
- Design process
- Shaping and sketching
- 3D modeling with a focus on production technology
My best experience during the WILDDESIGN internship:
I would say that the team and the projects were the best part of the internship. The atmosphere and the team were fantastic, the people were nice and friendly. They make you feel part of the team right from the start and that was something I really appreciated. The individual projects were very interesting. The main focus was often on medical technology, but there were also some industrial design projects.
I would recommend an internship at WILDDESIGN to others because...:
WILDDESIGN offers you the opportunity to work on real large-scale projects. You will be guided by highly qualified employees in an always friendly and relaxed atmosphere.
My best/ craziest memory of the WILDDESIGN internship:
When I walked with Marc, Oli and Andrew from the office to the red dot AFTER WORK PARTY, we shared a few bottles of beer and then got lost. But we finally arrived and had a great time with the rest of the team in a unique environment.
Bhagyashri Tamboli from India
August 2014 to January 2015 / Gelsenkirchen / Graphic design and brand development
Three of the most valuable skills learned or developed during the WILDDESIGN internship:
- Design strategy
- Working on medical technology projects
- Interdisciplinary approach to design
My best experience during the WILDDESIGN internship:
The inspiring overall atmosphere and working with a highly professional and experienced team.
I would recommend an internship at WILDDESIGN to others because...:
It's a good start to the world of work and a good learning experience.
My best/ craziest memory of the WILDDESIGN internship:
My last day at WILDDESIGN when the team surprised me with a cake, drinks and a sweet farewell photo.
Julia Regnath from Germany
February to July 2015 / Gelsenkirchen / Product design
Three of the most valuable skills learned or developed during the WILDDESIGN internship:
- Teamwork
- Working under time pressure
- Find out what the customer actually needs
My best experience during the WILDDESIGN internship:
The fun of working together in such a nice team. The time in the shared flat was a great experience because it made a lot of things easier and we had so much fun together 🙂 AND MYLO OF COURSE!
I would recommend an internship at WILDDESIGN to others because...:
You are not just an "intern" but a valuable part of the team. Your ideas count, your opinion counts. And you get the opportunity to work on various projects and tasks.
Andrew Berno from Australia
February to July 2013 / Gelsenkirchen / Product design
Three of the most valuable skills learned or developed during the WILDDESIGN internship:
- If you can, or it is possible, keep at it - sometimes you go round in circles with an idea, sometimes you have a "flash of inspiration"
- The usual careful check - and then check everything again!
- Especially after large projects, it's the last 10% that really counts - it's mentally the hardest part and the part that makes something look unfinished or special.
My best experience during the WILDDESIGN internship:
Having the opportunity to travel around the world and acquire knowledge in a profession that I am passionate about. With hard work and initiative, I was able to support the team over time. I was fully integrated into the various design projects. And now it's nice to know that the team was able to help find a solid design solution for our customer - for a device that was recently launched - and I was a part of it.
My best/ craziest memory of the WILDDESIGN internship:
Haha! Too much to tell - none of them are reasonable but some of them should still be told. It's all a bit crazy.
Elias from Germany
March to April 2015 / Shanghai / Business division development
Three of the most valuable skills learned or developed during the WILDDESIGN internship:
- Teamwork
- Search engine optimization
- Website analysis
My best experience during the WILDDESIGN internship:
The people, the friendly atmosphere and Andrew's special sense of humor.
I would recommend an internship at WILDDESIGN to others because...:
It's fun and many experienced designers support you.
My best/ craziest memory of the WILDDESIGN internship:
Bridge hanging...
Maxime Le Ruyet from France
March to July 2015 / Shanghai / Product design
Three of the most valuable skills learned or developed during the WILDDESIGN internship:
- CAD
- Manufacturing process
- Company organization
My best experience during the WILDDESIGN internship:
I enjoyed the good "design karma" in the Shanghai office! My colleagues were easy-going during the working day and always willing to share tips and events, and even more so in their free time.
I would recommend an internship at WILDDESIGN to others because...:
It is a fantastic international team.
My best/ craziest memory of the WILDDESIGN internship:
During a "night shift" with two former interns, Caro and Steven, we had a minor nervous breakdown, which prompted us to perform a crazy dance routine alone in the office.
Maxime has contributed an amazing article to our blog:
5Common Mistakes Made by Junior Designers >>>>
As you can see, there is never a dull moment for an intern at WILDDESIGN. Many of them stay in touch with us for years after their internship - via Facebook and the platform "The Designpraktikanten.WG", a fan page set up especially for them, where they share their interesting, everyday experiences with others.
Join us!
Take a look at our team page
