I spent the last 12 weeks working for the Agency of Design. Never in my life has it been as easy to get up for work as when coming to the studio. The diverse nature of the studios’ work, the warmth of the people working there, and the bottomless supply of Nespresso capsules result in a thoroughly energising atmosphere.

During my short time at the studio I worked on projects involving: the projection mapping of data, optimising plant storage and transport, and combating antibiotic resistance. Each of these projects entailed numerous technical disciplines. I tried my hand at: coding, product design, table football, graphic design, drinking beer, animation, packaging design, going to the post office, 3D modelling and strategic thinking. Despite having next to no experience in any of these fields; Matt, Adam and Rich spent a ludicrous amount of time patiently teaching me. From the revelation that is the blend button in Illustrator, to teaching me about the Six Thinking Hats (apparently I’m very black), I cannot thank the Agency enough for the skills they have imparted to me.

When I was not taking on the role of the pupil, I was treated as colleague whose opinion was of equal of importance. At times this illusion felt absurd. Frequently I’d be asked for my thoughts on matters that I was completely uninformed about. However being treated as an equal is one factor that made working at the Agency of Design so comprehensively enjoyable. It undoubtedly encouraged me to engage more pro-actively in the design challenges. This egalitarian treatment was emblematic of the broader ethos of the studio. Where their creativity is borne out of a general sense of determined positivity.

Before starting my internship I was incredibly excited, having seen the projects the company had produced, I knew that this would be an interesting summer. My internship far surpassed these expectations. I had not envisaged the level of engagement I would have with the projects, how welcoming and patient Rich, Matt and Adam would be, or quite how much I would learn in such a short space-time. I truly relished every minute of it.

By being part of the team for almost three months, I had the chance to follow your workflow and got closer to the variety of skillset in the team that makes AoD a unique design studio.

AoD helped me improve my design capabilities and re-evaluate the way I approach a project, most times in ways that I haven't seen before. Having the chance to work on an innovation design project made me push the boundaries of creativity.

From the very first day, I felt part of the team with multiple brainstorming sessions and workshops. AoD has a great work environment and everyone is very generous and always on a good vibe.

I really enjoyed my time on AOD and would highly recommend them!

Working with the team of The Agency of Design was one of the best career experiences I have ever had. They gave me the opportunity to be part of their team, welcoming me into a great work atmosphere. The guys have a great work ethics, they are fun to work with and always had a positive vibe.

This past summer I spent 9 weeks with The Agency of Design. I was open minded on what to expect from both the work and social aspects, but it quickly became clear that I was in for an enjoyable and engaging summer.

My projects were related to smart healthcare products, using novel technology to increase the accessibility of medical care and drive down costs for both patients and the NHS. With no pre-existing knowledge on the subject, I quickly became the “local expert” and was openly involved with the initial research, product and software prototyping, which led to learning how to code new languages, product design, and meeting clients, all with the unfaltering support from the team despite their busy schedules. Alongside this, I assisted on several other projects, involving creative brainstorming, strategic thinking for a new product, and generally using my engineering-background to help out where I could.

Socially, I had a great time with the team. Throughout the summer there were countless post-work beers, frisbee, table football and ping pong sessions, and other general social events but not forgetting to mention the annual Summer BBQ (which didn’t end too well for me…). Most importantly, the team embraced the endless supply of funky disco tunes I repeatedly played on the studio speakers.

Altogether, I had a thoroughly enjoyable summer with the team. What was most pleasing was the openness of discussion and embracing of people’s differences, shown in the team’s willingness to learn from me, my background, trust in my work and value my opinion despite being new to the team. My overall impression was that the team demonstrates a successful overlap between engineering know-how, creative vision and understanding of consumer demands, creating a rare and powerful recipe for innovation. Having completed several internships at different, larger companies previously, I can certainly say I felt more valued and learnt more than at any of my previous experiences.

It has been a wonderful 2 months working at The Agency of Design. I decided to apply after seeing their work at a circular economy event. Few of my particular favourites were the toaster project and the tool box. It is difficult for me to find a place that shares my ideology, goals and dreams and I thought I had landed on a jackpot when I found The Agency of Design.

When I started my internship they had just moved into a very awesome big studio. I guess I have evolved as a designer just as much as the space has over the duration of my internship. (A LOT) I have gained a couple of skills this summer from rediscovering my love for programming to improving my nearly hopeless table football skills. We did a lot of hands on ideation, projection mapping and life sciencey stuff.

The first year at college had been very hectic leaving no time to discover London. So during my internship time I really wanted to spend some time visiting art galleries and other delights that London has to offer. We visited an exhibit on Digital Revolution at the Barbican together.

Adam, Matt and Rich are perfect balance of work and fun. Their passion and talent reflects in their work and their patience and humility makes sure you learn lots from them. Add to that 3 amazing intern friends and what I got was a lively and chirpy place with never-ending inspiration and something to look forward to every day. I dabbled my hands in multiple projects the agency was working on giving me lots of food for thought. The time has flown by so quickly and it will be soon time to start next year at RCA. Adam, Matt and Rich did their first project together in IDE while studying at RCA and I can only hope to find the same awesomeness and team spirit with my team next year. (*fingers crossed*)

My 6 month Mario Kart training camp with AOD saw me transform from a 50cc Sunday driver in to a competitive 200cc athlete. I also did some design work too;

I was fortunate to spend 6 months as part of the AOD team. The studio has a relaxed and focused environment which helped fuel the creative process and helped me integrate in to the team.

One of the big advantages of working in a tight knit team like AOD is the creative freedom and ever growing responsibilities you're given, working on a range of projects with clients big and small.

AOD is a great environment for a young designer, it helped me develop my creative process and learn more about the industry from a different point of view. Overall I really enjoyed my time with AOD and would highly recommend the studio!

I spent three months at The Agency of Design. Three months are enough to understand how the company worked, enough to be fully integrated in the team and the projects, but on top of all, enough to regret my departure.

First and foremost, I met fantastic guys : Rich, Matthew and Adam are as humble as generous, and the company they've built impressed me by its efficiency. Perhaps it's because they succeed in putting things into perspective, which enables them to be relaxed without forgetting their goals.

Moreover, I was touched by the way they welcomed me in the company. I'm French, and the communication, sometimes (often?) was quite difficult because of my English, and I was surprised to see how patient they were, repeating things when I didn't understand, and bringing me to their professional meetings despite this, as well as some cultural events, such as exhibitions, talks, etc.

But at the same time, how many times did we laugh because of the quid pro quo it created, and how many times did we awe when we discover how different our own cultures could be? Definitely, it was a great experience, I enabled me to step back from the way I lived and to question the French system.

I couldn't forget neither the table football games we've made all my internship long, and here again, all the laughs we had. An advice by the way, join Rich's team rather than Adam's : ADAM IS CHEATING ! (I'm kidding, well, let's say it's almost wrong). And what to say about Fridays after work? A subtle melange of beers, ciders, crisps, nuts, music, table football special competitions, and stupid games on computer... gorgeous!

To finish, I could say this internship changed the vision I had of different things. Sustainability, first: what appears as sustainable is not obviously sustainable. Production, then: Design is not necessarily the physical production of new things, it can also be a reorganisation of what exists.

I encourage people to live the experience I lived. I can assume The Agency of Design is made of good people, and I wish I could live this adventure again.