Ben joined us over a year ago in our Packaging Design team as a placement student from the highly regarded Product Design course at University of the West of England (UWE Bristol). The placement gave Ben experience of working in a packaging design environment where he could apply his skills in active projects and learn new skills, too.
Before Ben returned to his final year of studies, we caught up with him for his thoughts on his placement year...
Please can you give a little detail about yourself, the course you're on, and what your career interests are?
My name is Ben Dunn, I'm an undergraduate Product Design student at UWE Bristol, originally from Loughborough, Leicester. I have one year left at university and then would be interested in working in a design studio in a city.
What made you apply to Aegg for your placement?
I had seen that Aegg had previously hired placement students and I was looking to gain experience in Product Design. I was intrigued by the different packaging Aegg supplies, especially as I had no experience of working with glass.
What have been the most interesting projects you have worked on whilst at Aegg?
A drinks company approached Aegg regarding a bespoke bottle. This launched a lengthy design process which I was heavily involved in, from interpreting the client brief to presenting my design solutions to them via Zoom. It was interesting to see how all the different requirements dictated the bulk of the design, but also having the task of producing something creative whilst keeping everyone happy. This project was used as a template for future projects in terms of the design process and how I went about my work.
Photo: Ben Dunn, Packaging Design Placement Student at Aegg Creative Packaging
What has been the most challenging task you have worked on at Aegg?
I took the lead on the transfer of the two sample rooms from Aegg's office in Andover over to its hub in Eye, which had a lot of moving parts. I sorted the two rooms in Andover, boxed everything up, loaded them onto a lorry, then unloaded them from the lorry, and then set up the new room.
What 3 skills learnt from your time at Aegg will you take away and apply to future career roles?
I would say being open minded, independent and reliable. The nature of my role meant helping out in lots of different areas, not always design specific, and then getting the job done.
You are currently handing over the 'design placement baton' to Ollie, who is currently starting his placement with Aegg. What advice would you give him?
Get involved with everything you can as it's good experience and keeps you busy.
Photo: Ollie, new Packaging Design Placement Student at Aegg Creative Packaging
Quote from UWE
A Placement Co-ordinator at UWE added the following "Undertaking a placement is a fantastic opportunity for our students to get first-hand experience in their chosen industry and develop new skills.
Placements substantially increase the chance of securing a graduate role, allowing students to ‘stand out from the crowd’ compared to graduates with no work-based experience. Students also benefit from making industry contacts, enhancing their CVs and applying knowledge developed during their studies.
Although a year in industry is optional, we always strongly encourage students to take up this valuable opportunity! We always have lots of positive feedback from students who appreciate the value of gaining real life work experience.”
All that's left to say is a big 'thank you' to Ben - you have been a star. Keep in touch and we look forward to following your career...
You can view Ben's portfolio here
