People say that when an opportunity comes knocking, we should answer the door. I was lucky enough to have this opportunity to intern as a Product Designer here at Faire Leather Co. and so far, there’s never been a day where I stop learning and discover more about myself.

Who would have thought that I would be offered this internship even though I’m con-currently pursuing my degree. Through this internship, it has taught me how different it is to be studying product design in school and actually working as a product designer.

At Faire Leather Co., challenging their ideas and voicing our opinions were encouraged. And I’m truly thankful how our ideas could become a reality in some cases. Our personal development was vital in the eyes of Ryan and Joe. I remembered during my interview, they even asked me what I wanted to do and learn during this internship before they looked at how they could help develop those areas.

Having little experience in designing an actual product in real life, Joe would provide constructive feedback on what works and what doesn’t when reviewing the sketches. Even sitting in one of the product development meetings with the team expanded my knowledge widely. From there, I learn bit by bit, slowly but surely about how a bag works and sometimes it’s not as easy as it looks. A bag is a bag, that’s right. However, from the construction point of view, there are a lot of technical details and logical thinking involved for the bag to perform its functions.

This experience is unlike other internships that I’ve done - there is no top-down approach like in some big corporate companies, but rather there's a constant exchange of knowledge and active contribution from everyone. These are the little things that make me feel valued even as an intern.

We’re like a Fairemily, as Ryan would joke, always teasing one another but at the same time, constantly looking out for one another. And that's what makes Faire Leather Co., Faire Leather Co..

Till next time,
Joce