Student programme

Swinburne University of Technology in Melbourne, Australia is recognised as one of the best institutes of design in Australia (if not the world). JohnstonWorks have been partnering with Swinburne’s School of Design since 2006 to mentor one under-grad student each year for their 48 week industry placement programme.

London is a fantastic city to live and breathe design and provides endless opportunity for under grad students to develop their design skills, discover new interests and create a solid foundation to their future career. It takes a lot for a student to pack up their life and move to a thriving city such as London. Those who do are in for an amazing adventure and the team at JW are here to support them on their journey. Equally each and every student who joins us at JohnstonWorks brings a new dimension, fresh ideas and great spirit. All of students to date have been amazing!

From day one of the internship the students are involved in live projects for clients and adopt the role as a professional designer. They are encouraged to attend meetings, contribute ideas and make the most of their time with us. They are mentored by the senior staff, learn new techniques, skills and professional studio practice on a daily basis. Students returning to Melbourne each year are armed with confidence, a great portfolio and plenty of aspiration to the best in their field.

We hand pick one student each year to join the team. Applications open on 1 October 2012 for the 2013 placement.

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Here’s a few words from some of our IP students of past and present:

Jess Watson (2011): To sum up the following paragraph, all I have to say is ‘life changing’.
I truly believe if I was to have had my IP placement in Melbourne, that I would not have developed as fully and I definitely would not have had the exposure to the thriving design world or all of the amazing sights, sounds and tastes that London (and Europe) offers every single day. There is an abundance of monthly creative exhibitions, galleries, design events, festivals and talks to soak up. London is such an inspiring place to live.

I have worked on many extraordinary and captivating projects that have developed and excelled my design capabilities. Fashion clients, bar logo designs, alcoholic beverage clients, identity design and collateral branding, publication designs, photo shoots, advertising campaigns, website design, package design, illustration, mock ups, client presentations, feedback and continuous idea generation and development. I have been given the opportunity to have creative control on many of these projects, which has exceeded my expectations.

The experience has been the best possible start to my career, I have no doubt. Yet it has been more than a career challenge, it is a personal and social challenge. Throughout the lead up to my departure from Australia, Kirsten was always on hand to offer advice about the move and the requirements of London employment, I never felt overwhelmed. The mentoring environment has always encouraged collaborative expression of all ideas with personal design feedback to help design development and the refinement of my technical skills. Coupled with the travel opportunities, vivid nightlife and festival opportunities, all I can say is, this experience has been life changing, and I know I’ll be back for more in the near future!

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Svetlana Andrienko (2009/10): My industry placement at JohnstonWorks was undoubtably the best introduction to professional design practice I ever could have hoped for. From the get go, the team at JW were very welcoming which made for a great learning and working environment, especially since the jump from University design practice to professional practice was much more expansive than I ever imagined. The atmosphere and the people around me not only helped me develop as an individual designer, but also allowed me to develop as part of a highly cohesive team — something which has not always been my strong suit! In my first 2 months at JohnstonWorks I easily learned more than I had in the 2 years of University prior.

The diversity of clients made for consistently interesting and varied work. From brainstorming together with our obligatory cup of tea (or coffee in my case!) in hand to travelling to Germany for the day to art direct a photo shoot, each day bought new, unique, and on occasion mind-boggling experiences.

And of course, not to be ignored as another amazing benefit to completing my industry placement at JW is the city where it finds its home. London is not only a great place to be in terms of graphic design practice and education — but is just an all-around amazing city to experience. From the pubs, markets and high-street shopping to the ultra low-cost airlines and proximity to the rest of Europe, London is without a doubt one of the best places to visit, and better still to live!

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Henry Fuller (2007): Looking back, JohnstonWorks was the greatest start to my career in design I could have asked for. Kirsten gave me the chance to travel to London – the epicenter of the design world and experience everything it has to offer. The lifestyle was explosive, the design community thriving. Kirsten, Stu and the entire JW team’s guidance and generosity in helping an enthusiastic but inexperienced designer is something I will never forget. Kirsten developed my skills beyond design with her deep business know-how. You cannot put a value on how much you soak up over the 12 months. Design thinking, liaising with printers, suppliers and a wide range of clients. As well as almost monthly talks from design giants like Wim Crouwel and 14 Pentagram partners a highlight. Industry events, parties, openings and drinks also in abundance. The entire team was so supportive in helping me get set up, finding a place to live, and making me feel comfortable. Let’s not forget your time away from the studio… World class food, Crazy nightlife and a stimulating arts world – Dali at the Tate and The Spice Girls reunion at O2 Arena (cringe!). Europe is moments away – I managed to squeeze in Dublin, Paris, Amsterdam, and the Greek islands. And let’s not forget a working brief that had me art directing 3000m atop the Alps in Salzberg. Yes, it was hard work!

For anyone considering this move to London for IP year, DO IT. I can’t stress this enough. It’s unmissable. The experience was so enjoyable I have no doubt I will return to London in the near future to pick it up again…

(Henry – far left – doing his stuff in Salzburg!)