Shaping the Future – Reflections on a Week Work Placement

My name is Meera Jhumat. I recently completed a role in content creating for TPSquared. I am a Graphic Design student from BCU and I am moving into my final year. TPSquared’s portfolio specialising in design for print, digital and brand identity caught my attention, and for years I’ve been planning to work for an agency like TPSquared so you could imagine how a one week of experience was a life changer.

The project, Miss Chief Threads helped me to develop many skills. I learnt about how brands work and how to promote a brand. Thanks to TPSquared, I had the full marketing experience; I was given tasks like organising packaging, content creating and building social media posts for Instagram to connect, sell and inspire. This project stood out to me as I researched, sketched ideas and designed using Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. The placement has helped me with collaboration, communication, organisation and technical skills. It has also given me industry insight.

For me collaboration increased productivity, innovation and it led to more creative solutions. Industry insight helped me to improve my decision-making skills and I gained more innovation and communication skills. My technical skills developed through one-to-one guidance where this enhanced my productivity. These skills were essential to bring my vision to life. My designs were visually appealing through the use of colour, typography, juxtaposition and illustration.

The challenges I faced were technical accuracy, working with new systems, balancing my creativity whilst working on multiple projects. I overcame these challenges by taking breaks, so I had time to rethink, practice time management and ask questions when necessary. Valuable lessons included working on my time management which helped me to work on multiple tasks during my time at the agency.

The staff were very approachable, friendly and supportive and Carolyn guided me through the process of content creating. It was such a friendly environment. The team directed me to the right areas and gave me tutorials on how I could design better using the software. I learnt new methods which I didn’t know of before. One memorable moment was when I showed the team my ideation for Miss Chief Threads. They were so impressed by my ideas. This made me feel more confident and motivated to keep on stepping up in Graphic Design.

The placement has made me realise that Graphic Design is definitely something to go forwards in. It’s enabled me to develop my confidence, team-building and technical skills. My future plans include working in the music industry to produce visuals, working in advertising, as well as editorial design and branding. This placement has brought out the creativity in me. I really know how to connect, sell and inspire others as a designer.

Thank you, TPSquared!