TDL-London received an early Christmas present in November this year when our fabulous intern, Abbey, travelled all the way from the U.S.A to work with us. We’ve carried out a quick Q&A so you can get to know her better.
A bit about you
Hi! My name is Abbey and I’m from the wonderful city of Chicago. I am currently in my third year at Elon University studying strategic communications.
If you’re wondering why I am writing a blog post for a company in London, I was given the opportunity to partake in a placement abroad, and specifically offered an internship at TDL for the last two months of my time in the UK.
It has been truly amazing living in London. From the unique boroughs to the infinite parks, museums, shops and restaurants to explore, I am still in awe. I have also tried to take advantage of the location by travelling to other countries such as France, Monaco, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands. I loved observing the diverse cultures that each country has to offer and I can openly say that I ate my way through most of them. Having never been outside of the United States prior to studying abroad, I can easily say that this has been the experience of a lifetime.
What were your expectations of working at an information design agency? Did your expectations align with reality?
I have always been interested in the creative aspect of communications, more specifically how to advertise and market to audiences. Prior to my internship with TDL, I had somewhat been exposed to graphic design during a previous marketing internship.
TDL has allowed me to gain first-hand experience, not to mention new skills, in advertising and marketing. This experience was not exactly what I was expecting. I didn’t expect to learn so much about graphic design in such little time nor did I expect to have the opportunity to contribute so much to TDL’s marketing department. It has been rewarding being able to contribute my ideas and having them implemented.
What did you do at TDL-London?
During my time here, I have been working on how TDL can reach their target audiences more effectively. In order to grasp audiences I have created press releases and newsletters to be distributed to current and potential clients. I have also been seeking and contacting publications that could offer TDL more advertising opportunities. To further research TDL’s audiences, I have looked into google and social analytics. These will help me determine what draws traffic to the social media sites and company website. I also had some time to photograph the TDL-London studio and members of the team at work for future press shots.
What are the tools you have used at TDL-London?
By learning new programs such as Adobe Illustrator and InDesign, Google Analytics, iContact and more, I have not only gained more skills, but also relevant preparation for the world of communications. Clearly, I have been learning a lot during my time at TDL. I have developed a clear and effective marketing strategy for TDL to maintain when I am no longer here.
At the end of my internship I will present a PechaKucha presentation to the TDL-London team, reviewing my contributions made during my time here as well as the marketing strategy. I am sad that my study abroad experience is coming to an end, but I am very appreciative of the time I’ve had at TDL thus far.
What have you learnt about clients while at TDL-London?
During this experience I have learned that clients may change their minds at very short notice. It is incredible how fast the TDL team can respond to a client’s needs despite a tight deadline.
What have you learnt about information designers while at TDL-London?
Prior to interning with TDL-London, I did not know much about information design. I have learned that they need to directly work with the client in order to successfully create what they need. It is also important as an information designer to always question, never presume.
What are the three key things you have learnt about marketing within the design sector while at TDL-London?
- Not to be too sales-y, information design is a service
- Adobe Illustrator and InDesign are very necessary to produce final documents
- Drawing visuals, such as wireframes, are beneficial when planning out a newsletter or advertisement
Thanks to Abbey for all of her hard work over the past 8 weeks- we’ll be sad to see her go!