2017 Fellowship: A Different Way to Learn Design

What can 2 students learn in 7 weeks with some of the top design companies in the world? The answer: a lot!

Our 2017 Be Original Americas Student Design Fellows, Irene Lee and Tom Groom, spent the summer traveling in both the U.S. and even to Switzerland to get a first-hand look at how the design industry works, from manufacturing to marketing, from quality control to sales.

We had to ask — why did they chose the Be Original Americas Fellowship?

Irene Lee: I chose Be Original Americas Fellowship because of its immersive nature. The opportunity to step outside of the classroom environment and learn from industry professionals will truly be eye opening. I know that the fellowship will help me in setting new goals as an aspiring designer.

Tom Groom: When I found out about the Be Original Americas Fellowship, I spent time looking at the website and was incredibly excited by the companies that Be Original Americas is involved with. This is a once in a life-time opportunity to look inside these incredibly famous and productive companies. I’m really looking forward to visiting different areas of the design industry and having the chance to have design professionals help develop my insight into areas which education at university can explore, but not fully develop like full-scale manufacturing, and in-industry research and development.

Watch their final talk on how this experience affected their design life — through their studies and beyond.

Looking to learn more about the Be Original Americas Student Design Fellowship? Visit our Fellowship page to stay updated on this year’s edition.