Winning a design prize was very satisfying and a real boost for my career. I’m Trish and I’m studying Interior Design MA. In this blog, I’m going to explain how I did it and why it makes a difference to my future.
What is the award and who runs it?
Will + Partners is a studio in London that specializes in architecture, interior design and graphic communications. Their design philosophy is to create environments that shape people and to initiate and collaborate with clients and designers to give rise to inspiring spaces.
For many years now, the studio supports and sponsors emerging design students through their annual Will + Partners Design Prize. This prize is aimed specifically at final year Masters of Architecture and final year Masters of Interior Design students to recognize and reward creative designs that are in sync with their theme of wellness and sustainability.
The prize intends to acknowledge students who are aware that the architectural environment can affect human behaviour and who have demonstrated detailed understanding through their research and design portfolio.
Applying for the award
We were made aware of this prize through our course tutors who sent us an email with the specifications. This was just after we wrapped up our submission for the second semester. This worked out well as we did not have to create new material just for the prize submission, but instead we uploaded pages from the portfolio we created for our Main Design module.
An online portal was created for us to upload our files onto a week or two before the deadline. I was soon made aware that I had been nominated for the award, but I thought nothing of it (so as to not get my hopes up.)
Receiving the award
To my surprise, when the results were out, I learnt that this year I was fortunate enough to have been awarded the first prize from the MA Interior Design course.
As an international student, receiving such a prestigious award helped calm many of the doubts and anxieties regarding my own skills, especially after moving to a foreign country.
Boosting my career prospects after uni
Last year’s first prize winner is currently working full-time at Will + Partners’ London studio so that makes me believe that when I apply, I too will be considered a valuable addition to the team! Apart from the possibility of employment in the future, the reward also comes with a £250 cash prize!
I hope to work with Will + Partners in the future so that I can get real-life industry experience. I am excited to add this achievement to my CV as it imparts credibility to my works in the eyes of potential employers. Recognition from a prestigious design studio has opened up many exciting possibilities for the future. I am beyond grateful to the judges for selecting my project and giving me this opportunity.
Find out more about Will + Partners
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