Our students

Where do you work?

I began my career working with the National Building Specification as a technical writer for the furniture, fixtures and equipment and interior finishes sections of their specification software. I now work as an interior designer for Ward Robinson, a commercial interior design firm based in Newcastle.

What do you do there?

I have been working with Ward Robinson for two years now. I have learnt a huge amount and been given increasingly more responsibility. We work on a range of commercial projects in the hotel, office, education and healthcare sectors and everything else in between. My role involves working on my own and as part of the team to take projects from initial concept right through to completion. I spend my days space planning, producing 3D visualisations alongside detailed drawing packages, as well as putting together mood and sample boards. I also do site visits and attend client meetings, and have recently started leading pitches and presentations which can be nerve-wracking but very rewarding.

Any notable experiences?

Last year I had the opportunity to take part in an office exchange and spent three months in Melbourne, Australia working with the interiors team within an architect’s practice. This was an incredible experience. It was amazing to see how the industry works on the other side of the world. I worked on a range of retail projects which was new territory for me. It was interesting to see the difference in the role from within an architect’s practice rather than from within my interior design practice back home.

How did studying at university contribute?

The course at Teesside University helped prepare me for my interior design career. The technical and creative training I received was a great basis to build on when starting out in practice and an essential skill set for the job. There was a strong emphasis on the design process - in responding to a brief by taking inspiration from something small and allowing it to develop into a working design scheme.