Catching up with Former Beyond Design Intern, John Dutton
Our fifth and final featured intern for our blog is John Dutton, who had the opportunity to learn from our designers, as he came from Purdue University to do so. We asked him some questions about his time here as an intern at Beyond Design.
1. When did you intern?
I interned at Beyond Design in 2007 during the fall semester of my Senior year at Purdue University.
2. What was your favorite project that you worked on during your internship at Beyond Design?
My favorite project had to be the work I helped with on a paint dispenser for Fluid Management. Along with having the opportunity to learn SolidWorks for the first time while modeling the concept, the best part was working with Michael to build a full scale foam-core mock-up. I can definitely say that I learned many new ways to prototype using foam-core that I had never considered. The client was really happy with the work, and loved the model.
3. What was the best part about Beyond Design?
The best part of Beyond Design was the people I had the privilege of working with. They are a close knit family of extremely talented and creative people that didn’t think twice about welcoming me into their group. During my time at Beyond Design, I gained mentors and friends that I will always value and learn from still to this day.
4. What three things did you feel were the best takeaways during your internship?
a. I learned so much during my internship at Beyond Design. As a student working in a design consultancy for the first time, the most valuable asset I gained was experience. Being involved in the strategic process employed by Beyond Design through research, ideation, and concept development helped me develop invaluable design methods.
b. Another key takeaway from my internship was the refinement of my core design skills. As I worked alongside masters in sketching, CAD modeling, and rendering, I was able to learn new techniques and processes that progressed my work to the next level.
c. Lastly, I took with me the recognition that great collaboration leads to great innovation.
5. What are you doing now / how did Beyond Design help you advance in your career, life?
After my internship at Beyond Design I graduated from Purdue, and won an IDEA Silver in the student category for my senior thesis. I went on to work at Radio Flyer for about 5 years where I had the opportunity to help develop some really cool products and had a lot of fun. I am now a Senior Designer at Webb deVlam, and work with an incredibly talented group of people that are experts in strategic brand design. But, I can’t say enough about how much my internship at Beyond Design helped prepare me to achieve my goals. Without the skills, knowledge, and mentorship I gained at Beyond Design, I would have never been able to accomplish my career and life aspirations. I definitely would recommend an internship at Beyond Design for a truly transforming experience.
We thoroughly enjoy having interns during all seasons, helping them to improve their skills – in both design and communication. John was no different. He took advantage of his time at our studio to learn everything he could from our designers. We hope that he continues to pursue her career in design and wishes him the best of luck working at Webb deVlam.
Please keep checking out our blog to see future interns when we hear from them!
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