Top Left Design
Fall 2017 | Soho, London
Top Left Design has been thriving since 2002, its a company of designers, developers, and social media gurus that helps clients thrive online. The team works with clients to strategize, design, use social media, plan marketing, write copy, and code an amazing websites. Top Left Design also works with clients to do consultancy and training on design, blogging and social media.
During my time here in London, I have been working with the TLD team as a graphic design intern.
Over the last three months, working with the TLD team has been an incredible learning experience. I am tightening my technical skills and learning the ropes of working collaboratively with clients. I have not only gained the skills to guide a client through the logo design process start to finish, but successfully created marks that represent the soul of the clients’ brand. This semester, I have worked with the entire team creating websites, logos, brochures, and shareable—both for client and internal use. I have learned the importance of work and play, and collaboration both with clients and the team. I’ve even learned a great deal about myself and my personal values as a human being and designer.
The best part of TLD is the relationships between the team members. All projects—big or small are crafted with extreme care and attention to detail. Professional skills aside, Keren Lerner and the entire team have made me feel at home here in London. Working so closely with a team of 5 wonderfully talented women, there is never a dull moment. They make coming to work FUN (and make riding a crowded tube each morning totally worth it!) There have been multiple team-building adventures, one exploring our personal values. They even took time out of their day to decorate for (and celebrate) Thanksgiving! I think little moments like these show a great deal about the kindness and care the team has for interns and their professional and personal growth.
A few differences..
Offices in London have proved to be a bit different than those in Cincinnati, Ohio. I enjoy the social feel of working together at one large table. Though I have worked with an even smaller company in the U.S., I think the collaborative feel here brings the team closer in a more social environment. I think at times, typical cubicles can hinder creativity and collaboration. I’ve also noticed that though there are high expectations for the quality of work in both countries, there is more cultural pressure to work longer hours in the United States.
Fundamentally, I’ve had to adjust to the A4 paper size and working in the metric system, along with retraining my brain to throw in the additional E’s and U’s in words. Fortunately, no one here has told me my work is ‘quite good’—that’s British for “you’re work is not so great.”
During my time here in London, I have been working with the TLD team as a graphic design intern.
Over the last three months, working with the TLD team has been an incredible learning experience. I am tightening my technical skills and learning the ropes of working collaboratively with clients. I have not only gained the skills to guide a client through the logo design process start to finish, but successfully created marks that represent the soul of the clients’ brand. This semester, I have worked with the entire team creating websites, logos, brochures, and shareable—both for client and internal use. I have learned the importance of work and play, and collaboration both with clients and the team. I’ve even learned a great deal about myself and my personal values as a human being and designer.
The best part of TLD is the relationships between the team members. All projects—big or small are crafted with extreme care and attention to detail. Professional skills aside, Keren Lerner and the entire team have made me feel at home here in London. Working so closely with a team of 5 wonderfully talented women, there is never a dull moment. They make coming to work FUN (and make riding a crowded tube each morning totally worth it!) There have been multiple team-building adventures, one exploring our personal values. They even took time out of their day to decorate for (and celebrate) Thanksgiving! I think little moments like these show a great deal about the kindness and care the team has for interns and their professional and personal growth.
A few differences..
Offices in London have proved to be a bit different than those in Cincinnati, Ohio. I enjoy the social feel of working together at one large table. Though I have worked with an even smaller company in the U.S., I think the collaborative feel here brings the team closer in a more social environment. I think at times, typical cubicles can hinder creativity and collaboration. I’ve also noticed that though there are high expectations for the quality of work in both countries, there is more cultural pressure to work longer hours in the United States.
Fundamentally, I’ve had to adjust to the A4 paper size and working in the metric system, along with retraining my brain to throw in the additional E’s and U’s in words. Fortunately, no one here has told me my work is ‘quite good’—that’s British for “you’re work is not so great.”