Shaping the Future – Joey’s reflections on his 3 day work placement

Hey! I’m Joey, a student designer from Walsall, England. I’ve recently finished college and I’m heading to university in September to study Graphic Design. I wanted to apply for this competition brief for the Walsall Guildhall as it’s a local building that really caught my interest. I thought it would be a great starting point for my graphic design journey and a way to begin getting my name out there!

As part of this, I gained work experience at the studio, where I had the chance to develop the Guildhall branding further – essentially starting to create my first full brand!

Day One:
On the first day, I was shown around the offices and the building I’d be working in – and even had my own desk! This instantly made me feel like part of the TPSquared team. My main task was to build on the work I had already done, with guidance from experienced and talented designers. As part of this, I refined my logo and began creating my first-ever brand guidelines with help from the team.

One specific task that stood out to me during my time was choosing my new colour palette. Harriet was really supportive throughout, giving me a deeper understanding of colour theory and introducing me to a new tool from SCOPE, which helps ensure colour accessibility and good combinations. This is something I’ll definitely continue using in future! I picked up lots of little tricks of the trade, and my overall skill as a designer has definitely improved.

Not only that, I also gained a deeper understanding of how the industry works. Caz gave me great insight into the business side of things and was really open and supportive with all my questions. Even just being in the room and hearing all the calls and emails helped me get a clearer idea of what my future could look like.

The Team:
The most supportive and kind people I could’ve asked for – always open for any kind of chat, from Haz the DJ talking about music, to lunchtime table discussions where I got to know everyone more! My favourite day has to be Pastry Friday, and I’ll miss it very, very much.

Overall, the team – Clash, Haz, and Caz – have been amazing. I truly feel like I’ve made contacts for life, who I can reach out to for any help or advice going forward.

To conclude:
This experience is one I’ll never forget. From technical skills to business insight, I feel so much more confident and knowledgeable heading into university. I definitely have aspirations to return and work with TPSquared again – three days just wasn’t enough!

Massive thanks to the whole team for boosting my confidence and reassuring me that I’m on the right path with my career.

Tar, you lot!!!