Summer Intern Wrap Up
As summer winds down, we take a look back at our class of 2018 summer interns. This year we had 6 college and grad students join the team, from mechanical engineering to research, to sales, our summer interns supported our entire staff. The first to join us was Industrial Design intern, Seunghoon (Huun) Shin. Huun originally is from Seoul, South Korea and came to Chicago after his internship in Finland ended early last spring. Since leaving our studio in early July, Huun returned back to Seoul to resume his studies. Please read and watch our interview with Huun below!
Interview with an Intern:
What is your name and what is your title?
My name is Seunghoon Shin, my title is an Industrial Design Intern at Beyond Design.
What did you hear about beyond before you got here?
Actually, my seniors always talked about Beyond because of some mutual connections when it came to prototyping. Other interns before me came to Beyond [Seri Lee] that I went to Hongik University with as well.
Huun, with the help of other interns, assembled an outdoor shed for work on one of their final projects.
What was your first impression when you arrived at Beyond?
Actually, when I opened the entrance, it was like a dark, overcast day. So my first impression was like ‘uhm, it’s creepy in here!’ But when I opened the main entrance, I mean the gates, I was like ‘WOW this is really awesome!’ It looked like a factory on the outside at first and the people inside were sitting and designing and it was too quiet! Nobody was talking about anything that early. So, I don’t know. I just started saying hi to the people and brought my energy to the team.
Huun enjoying some American folk rock music at our first Sofar Sounds show earliar this summer.
What do you like about interning as opposed to being a student?
I love working here but I also love being in school. When I design in school, I design for myself. It’s not related to the market or through a company or client. I can choose any material. But in real life, you can’t do that because you have to think about a client and money.
What was your favorite food to eat in Chicago?
Surprisingly not deep dish pizza but instead. . . tacos! I love tacos so much, especially my favorite, Velvet Taco. It’s really delicious, you have to try it.
What was your favorite neighborhood?
I have to say Uptown, but some people say it’s a little bit dangerous but I never feel like it’s dangerous. Some people ask me for money, but it’s ok. It’s not dangerous, I never feel like that. But I get along, with the accent. There are some diverse people, it’s a really cultured neighborhood. I love it.
What was the most surprising thing about your American coworkers?
All of my coworkers at Beyond have different personalities. And then one day, I bought a Korean spice noodle. I thought they couldn’t handle it because I am Korean and I can eat the spices in my country but the noodle, I couldn’t eat. When I taste that, I almost cry. Most of my coworkers can eat the noodle. Even they say, delicious. But honestly, for me, it’s not delicious. It’s horrible!
Hoon with summer interns Carlos and Mert.
What helped you learn English while you were here?
Netflix. It’s really awesome, I can choose the subtitles and I can watch any kind of show.
What is your best Beyond memory?
I never spoke directly to the client, but the moment I started work with Polyjon and prototyping it was a great, new experience. So from the time I start talking to the people, to making prototypes, and interacting with other designers and clients, I love that.
What would you like to say to the Beyond team before you leave?
That they taught me a lot. Not only design but also experience. But I love all of them. And I they all have different personalities. So I love you guys so much, I am going to miss you, all of you, every single person here.
Huun exploring (and “researching”) products at the Housewares Show this past spring.
We’ll miss you too, Huun! We wish all the luck to Huun as he settles back into his life in Seoul and picks his studies back up. Stay tuned for our next intern interview with Carlos later this week! Thanks for watching and reading!
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