My name’s Juliette, I’m 19 and I come from the North East of France, more precisely from Reims: you may know it for its famous cathedral, where most of France’s kings were crowned, as well as for its Champagne…
I study space design at Lycée Marc Chagall, on a course called ‘BTS Design d’Espace’ (which is the equivalent of a Higher National Diploma in spatial design in the UK). It is a two year diploma during which I will learn how to develop and communicate a project in spatial design. To be able to do so, drawing is key, so I am learning how to draw plans by hand and on the computer with programs like AutoCAD, how to make models and how to do 3D modelling with SketchUp, or how to use Photoshop and rendering programs such as Artlantis.
At the end of my first year I had to find an internship in a company for four to six weeks to discover how a design company works as well as to gain first handwork experience. I hoped to do my internship in England because I have always loved the English language and culture, and have always wanted to live and work in an English speaking country. I thought doing this internship abroad would be a great experience, work and language wise.
I searched for interior design companies on the Internet and found Fruition’s website. I liked the singularity of the projects’ design: modern and colourful. The company seemed to have its own style and the team looked very friendly to me straightaway! I contacted them by mail and I was very happy when I received a positive reply.
I enjoyed my stay here in Torquay and at Fruition very much. It is indeed a very pleasant company to be part of, where the atmosphere is always friendly. It makes it an ideal space to work, not only because of its superb location but also and foremost because of the team who work as one, with the desire to create the best possible solutions for their clients. Their ambition, their motivation and their love for their work has inspired me tremendously and strengthened my desire to work in this field.
Working with Fruition during these six weeks allowed me to discover the inside story of the work of an interior designer. I had already learnt a lot at school but this work experience allowed me to see how to put this knowledge into practice. It was very interesting to see how the company manages several projects at the same time, how they organise their work as well as their way of: approaching and developing a project, the different stages from researching ideas to the implementation of the project, the different documents required, such as the moodboards, the drawings and the schedules.
I think what I have learnt during this internship will assist me greatly during the rest of my studies particularly on how to organise my work and how to contextualise a project in a real life situation. It strengthened my love for interior design, my motivation for my studies and has helped me to define my career goals.
I so enjoyed my time here that I now wish to continue my studies in England after I pass my exams next year and to become an interior designer like Laura, Louise, Monika and Mark.
So thank you to you and to Andy, Chris, Jenny, Lisa and everyone at Unit 7 for making my time here so enjoyable and for giving me this motivation!
Hoping to see you soon,
Juliette.
