During the Summer of 2018, I was a graphic design intern for Paperwhite Studio, a design and branding company in Brooklyn, New York. As a Graphic Design MFA student at MICA, I have a strong interest in identity design and packaging, especially in the food industry. Thus, while searching for an internship for the summer, I specifically looked for studios that have done projects in this food-GD area.Paperwhite is prestigious in the industry of restaurant/cafe branding and food packaging, and also famous for helping small restaurants explode in popularity thanks to a strong conceptual and carefully crafted design that connected with their audience. Jackʼs Wife Freda, by CHLOE, and The Sosta were three signature cases designed by Paperwhite.
To prepare for this experience, I have spoken personally with Laureen Moyal, the co-founder of Paperwhite Studio, about the job, and I also have contacted to one past intern and one current intern at Paperwhite to ask about their experience. Both of them gave me very positive feedback.
As an intern, I was given the same opportunities as the other designers in the studio. My job includes branding concepts for startups and new projects, designing deliveries for byChloe, and working on illustrations for other projects. For new projects, everyone will work on their own concept and Laureen will pick five to six versions to present to the clients. Two of my designs were chosen by the clients. The thing that I am most proud of is that my branding solution for Marmalade, a furniture brand by Bed Bath and Beyond, including logos, illustrations, and packaging, got chosen and I designed the brand guideline for this brand. Another major thing I worked on is the deliveries of byChloe, a vegan restaurant in NYC. I designed their chips bag, Apron, coloring book, freezer, ice-cream Cart, Water bottle design, etc.The most important thing I have learned from this internship is the process of new branding projects. I got the chance to watch the kick-off meeting, participate in pitching and even see how the final photo shot was done for two projects. By interviewing Laureen and talking with the other designers, I learned how to she start this design studio. This internship was a great way for me to start figuring out what is like to work in a branding studio and I left with many new additions to my own portfolio.
