We are approaching our big ol’ 5-year anniversary, and since we started, our methodologies and approach have changed with time. Since the beginning we have always had the pleasure of welcoming interns and offering industry experience.
Being an intern is bloody hard, seriously! You are most likely to be given work that none of the designers have time to do, such as: archiving, organizing files, prepping for print, small changes, etc. For doing all that work and being excited about it, WE THANK YOU!
Most start-up companies run on a certain fuel: a distinct mixture of ambition and excitement. A lot of today’s multi-national companies have gotten where they are today due to the hard work of interns. So, for all you fat cats who often look down on interns as your personal tea and coffee dispensers – think twice. Get your own cup of joe!
Years ago, I started as an intern for Gaslight, and as grateful as I am today for the opportunity, I do empathize with the interns. We all know that doing production may not improve your portfolio, but that’s the exact reason why you should do every job to the best of your abilities – it strengthens your skills and could lead to a portfolio piece. This year, we decided to give our three lovely interns a special project where they could explore their skills. Under Gaslight’s guidance, this piece could be used to land a full-time position.
The project’s goal was to create and develop a brand for a high-end restaurant named Scrambled Café, and then pitch it as if we were the clients. We left the project pretty open so that our interns could explore and have a fun, healthy competition. The winner’s prize was to have Gaslight feature their work on our website and social media.
Jodie and I were very involved throughout the process, but the whole team had a vote. This was a fun process (mixed with some tough love), but I’m glad to say that we were all very proud of the final solutions.
Picking the winner was so tough… I don’t think picking the Pope was this hard of a decision. After pitches were made, the whole team debated the results in the basement (yes our creepy basement) for probably an hour trying to figure out who was the winner. I can only imagine Jessica, Megan and Ryan were as anxious as Christians at the Vatican waiting for white smoke.
Allow me to state that while we were voting, the criteria used in judging were: design and creativity, concept, pitch, overall branding, and effort. Everybody was a winner in different categories: Jessica had a kick-ass concept, Ryan an amazing design, great handiwork, and a great attitude. Megan had good design, concept, consistency, and an awesome pitch. So the winner was (drum role please) Megan! And here’s her work:
Megan had one of the most difficult concepts to achieve. The simplicity of her restaurant led to a more difficult design solution to uncover. She ended up pulling it through last minute, just like in the movies. It all started with an engaging pitch and an even better delivery. Her business card was out-of-the-box and she stuck with her concept from beginning to end. Check out her website.
Because they also produced amazing work, here are Jessica’s and Ryan’s projects:
On the same note, I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone at Gaslight and say that it was a fun experience and that we definitely rock! Ta ta.