The Beginning

I got lost on my way to work, getting lost is inevitable in Barcelona because all the streets look the same. When I arrived my managers welcomed me and went through the necessary procedures such as health and safety. They mentioned that for the first couple of days I will spend time getting familiar with their website  https://yclas.com  before I started with the tasks set out for me. I created an account and started to play around with each feature, knowing the in and outs of their software. I realised this was very helpful because I didn't need much supervision giving me more time to carry out my tasks, as well as making me feel more comfortable knowing what I'm doing. Yclas Yclas is a web development software that offers it's services, templates and features to help create a successful classified site. Classifieds sites specifically categories the content they are advertising such as job boards, car dealerships and so on. While using the website I was observing the d...

Missed my flight I didn't really sleep the night before but I still woke up on time; my family dropped me at North Greenwich Station an I was off. Normally you can get a straight train to Gatwick from London Bridge, however that day there was an accident on the tracks. To which I was directed to another station which took an 1 hour to get to. So then I arrived at Gatwick the second the check in closed, all the flights that day would arrive in Barcelona too late. So my parents bought me another ticket for Monday morning, I contacted my landlord and manager. In a way it was a blessing in disguise because my deposit wasn't going to through till Monday, so I was not sure if I could still move in. Also I didn't really get to say by to my sisters and cousins properly. Then the new ticket meant I could carry more luggage meaning more food. I arrived in Barcelona on Monday 13th, I was so nervous about getting around because I didn't have time to practice my Spanish however ...

Now I have to start the long paperwork process also find an apartment in a very short time frame. I was given advice to look at Facebook groups and websites to find rooms to rent in Barcelona. However I was not finding anything I felt comfortable with, I want to live with students or people around my age. Literally I few days to go, I found an international student apartment only 30 mins away from my work place. Also the apartment is in the city, where shops and the metro are very close by. I made sure I had my travel insurance, filled out the necessary documents for Coventry University and my internship. I underestimated how long this process was, it took me until the day I left to finish all my paper work. With this I have been given an insight into the process of working abroad, I know the mandatory documents needed from me and the company. I have booked my flights and I'm ready to go.

I am happy to say that I have found an internship in Barcelona, Spain. It consists of Digital Marketing, even though it's not Graphic Design I believe that the experience would be valuable. This is due to the fact I think it's that useful to be able to know how to market my designs. It first I didn't want to go to Spain, my heart was set on Italy because it was a language I fell in love with, after learning it in secondary school. I wanted to be fluent and after researching the most effective way is to immerse yourself in the language by being in the country. However it was suggested I look else where because I was not getting any responses. I started looking at Spain because Spanish is very similar to Italian, also I wanted to go somewhere sunny. Seeing as I'm liking the idea of living in California, which has the biggest Latino population in the USA, I think it will be beneficial to learn Spanish; as well as it being the 2nd most spoken language in the world. This I...

I am now currently looking for a internship in Spain rather than a year long study abroad, because I want to see how design works in a business. Also I want to have that experience of putting more work into practice, beyond university assignments. This experience would be very useful after graduation because employers will be looking for graduates with experience; this is my way of being ahead of the game. It is also beneficial during my 3rd year, seeing sit will improve my work bring it up to industry standard. My second year in Coventry helped prepare myself for this, creative futures helped my construct my cover letter and CV. My tutors helped me with my portfolio, I was even given a website issue.com to present my portfolio online; making it look more professional. I have been searching for an internship since April 2016 in Italy, however looking at the economic climate I was told by Erasmus to start looking elsewhere. Even though I have been looking for a long time I am not go...

I was making my way back to England I began to reflect on my time in California and what this trip taught me. Nature, Food and Culture San Marcos is located in a desert, I was surrounded by mountains, hills, palm trees and flowers. Being from London I am not immersed in nature as much as I like, however in California I loved the scenery, the smell of fresh air as well as being able to workout outside in the sun. Embracing nature helps me relax and clear my mind, leading to the growth of creativity. The University is not just built on a hill however it is apart of the hill, engulfed with flowers and greenery. What I have taken from this is that, before I study or if I am have some sort of creative block I will go outside for clarity and creativity, rather than on my Mac. I remember my Graphic Design professor saying something along the lines of ' the core of design comes from nature '. This I believe is true when you look at the mechanism of a car or our primary colours they...

I received positive feedback for my Black Hair Project, one  one of my models said to me ” I am really happy you are doing this project, normally black women are not acknowledged or noticed. Your project is making me feel seen and empowered !". Also one of my models explained that the reason why her hair is short is due to her damaging her hair with  straighteners,  because she hated her curls, however now she embraces it. My main aim was to spread positivity and encourage women to embrace their natural selves.  Sadly I have finished my semester, I wish I could stay longer but I am grateful for the experience a new culture. This experience has given a different perspective on design, which will my make my work have a global appeal seeing as now I know what would appeal to the California market. In California, people prefer design with an individualistic concept while in the UK people value design with familiarity. With that being said I wou...