A B.A.M.-tastic internship

This summer, three students won a priceless internship at B.A.M. London - a predominantly editorial design company whose clients include the world’s largest auction house, Christies.

Second-year students from BA (Hons) Graphic Design were set a challenge to come up with ideas on how B.A.M. could further expand their brand. The students were invited to present their ideas at B.A.M.’s HQ in London, where three winning students were offered a two-week internship with the company over the summer.

We caught up with one of the winners, Connor Rabey, originally from Guernsey, to find out more about the internship.

What did you get up to during your two weeks at B.A.M.?

I got to work on different layouts for Christies Magazine, The Big Black Book for Esquire and C20 magazine.  I also got to go along to meetings between the B.A.M. team and clients, where they discussed further ideas and plans for the project.

What were some of the most useful aspects you came away with?

I learnt a lot more skills and techniques using InDesign; how important and useful templates and grids are for producing lots of similar layouts in a magazine; and how a business works and runs.

What advice would you give for students considering applying for the internship next year?

I’d really recommend it. It gives you an opportunity to work in a professional office. They are great people to be around and it’s a really good experience. 

The other two winners were Lara Chapman and Joy O’Leary, an Erasmus student who has decided to continue her studies at Solent rather than resuming them in Ireland. We asked Joy about the internship and her decision to stay in Southampton.

Tell us a bit about your experience this summer

Finding your first internship is one of the most daunting challenges that young designers face. Having been given the opportunity to intern at B.A.M. for two weeks has been amazing. I feel so lucky and it has been an extraordinary experience being surrounded by such high quality designers.

What will you take away from the internship?

The experience has definitely given me a leg up for my final year project, in terms of the standard I want my design to be at, and I feel like it has helped to bridge the gap between studying and working just that bit more.

Why have you decided to stay at Solent for your final year?

I came as an Erasmus student but I felt the quality of teaching and the structure of the course was great here. There are so many facilities in the studio and the lecturers are really focused on preparing you for the industry. The live projects where you get a brief from real clients is really exciting and puts your work into a more realistic perspective of what is acceptable design outside of uni projects.

What B.A.M. say

B.A.M. Joint Founder, David McKendrick, is no stranger to Southampton Solent. The former Creative Director of Esquire magazine has been giving guest lectures at the University for a number of years, as well as setting briefs and competitions for the students.

“Joy, Connor and Lara were great additions to the studio over the summer. They all arrived with a great attitude, worked hard, helped out and took on anything we threw at them,” says David, who was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Design by the University in 2015.

Steve Lannin, the Senior Lecturer on BA Graphic Design who built the relationship between B.A.M.  and Solent, believes that it’s the fantastic opportunities working with industry that help make Solent students ready for the work place.

“Working with such high profile design directors and the team at B.A.M. is invaluable. Not only will they have that added to their CVs but the enterprising spirit of B.A.M. is an inspiration and will help define the students’ attitudes to a very competitive industry.”