Interning experience:
India Brown
Having initially worked with Kingdom & Sparrow while studying at Falmouth University on a live brief for local charity, Young People Cornwall, and again in the summer of 2023 for a two week internship, I knew that I loved working with the team and admired the work they produced, hoping to return one day if the opportunity arose. After graduating, relocating to “The Big City” (of Bristol!) and interning with a couple of studios for a year, I realised that my heart was still in Cornwall and was delighted when I was offered another three month internship with K&S. Having grown in confidence and picked up new skills during my year away, I was excited to apply these to real life design projects, something that I have been given plenty of opportunity to explore across my internship with K&S.
The last three months have given me the opportunity to work across many different brands. It has been invaluable to see projects at every stage; from initial client calls and idea generation, to creating print artwork and uncovering how a branding and packaging agency truly works. Some of the projects I have worked on include: logo reveal animations; beer label artwork, including five seasonal beers from the ideation stage to final design; 3D rendering; an NPD brief for a world renowned beer company; working on ideas and sketches for a bespoke whisky label for Compass Box; internal work, from blogs to showreels, and so much more. I feel so grateful for my inclusion in these projects and have learnt so much from this. It has been so exciting to see my work out in the real world for the first time, a milestone in my design career!
Something I value about Kingdom & Sparrow is their appreciation towards artistry and craft, they integrate this into every project to create truly unique,conceptually rich outcomes. Being surrounded by a team who use paints, inks and printing techniques, as opposed to digital alternatives, is refreshing. As someone who loves to use craft and traditional analogue techniques into my own work, it is exciting (and rare!) to see this in an agency setting and is something that I feel sets Kingdom & Sparrow apart.
The Kingdom & Sparrow team are a close-knit bunch, constantly collaborating on projects, pausing their own work to huddle around one another’s computer screens to offer advice, inspiration and admiration. Being invited into this safe space of design has been revolutionary in bettering my attitude towards my own work and has given me the confidence to share my thoughts and advocate for my ideas.
Before beginning my internship journey, it felt as though the design world was slightly untouchable; getting my foot in the door seemed like a huge (and daunting) step. “The Design World” was branded as being fast paced, with long hours and late nights appearing to be the norm. Kingdom & Sparrow has a refreshing outlook to work. As a hard working and busy team, they put emphasis on well-being, balancing work with team activities, trips out and a much desired 4-day work week! Kingdom & Sparrow’s love for what they do radiates through their work and the studio environment, creating a wonderful atmosphere to be a part of.
Overall, my time with Kingdom & Sparrow has been such a rewarding opportunity. Being given the responsibility to work on live projects, as well as being given the time to soak up advice and skills from the talented team and being fully involved in the studio has been a great experience and one that I will treasure as I continue my journey into the design world. Thank you K&S for having me, I have had the best time.
