At Wobby, interns discover a space that inspires creativity and provides the tools to turn ideas into reality. Current interns Ruxi and Roos share their experiences working at Wobby, discussing the challenges, learnings, and highlights from their time here. Both bring unique perspectives to their work, as they balance their multidisciplinary approaches to design with the collaborative and dynamic environment at Wobby. From navigating the freedom of a small team to working on a variety of exciting projects, Ruxi and Roos reflect on how their internships have helped them grow as designers and artists. Here, they talk about what it’s like to be part of Wobby's creative community and what future interns can expect.
Ruxi is currently in her last year of Graphic Design Bachelor at the Royal Academy of Arts in the Hague, NL. She is a multidisciplinary artist and designer with a versatile practice. She likes exploring the associative processes that often lie behind the construction of narratives, through bold and vibrant design choices. Here Ruxi shares her experiences interning at Wobby.
Ruxi finds her internship at Wobby to be a refreshing and inspiring experience. As someone who was looking for illustration as a medium and a multidisciplinary approach, she was drawn to Wobby for its playful and dynamic design. "I really like the graphics of the magazine and I really wanted to have fun. It’s not that simple, the design, and that’s the match with my work because it’s not that serious and really playful," Ruxi shares.
Throughout her time at Wobby, Ruxi had the chance to work on various exciting projects. She was given the exciting opportunity to create a design and content for a spread in Wobby #39, Local Liar, which she describes as a highlight of her internship and she was honored to do that. “It came out really well because working on layouts is what I enjoy doing.'" She also enjoyed helping out with a creative workshop at Wobby Wonderland, where participants could craft unique buttons using Wobby's Riso test prints. "It was nice to see and work with more people," she explains.
For Ruxi, the internship at Wobby has been an eye-opening experience in understanding her working style and preferences. "I think mostly that I’ve learned a lot about myself and the kind of environment I thrive in," she reflects.
Working in a small team has been a key aspect of her growth. "I really like the environment of a small team because it’s easy to collaborate," she says.
One thing Ruxi has particularly appreciated is the relaxed atmosphere at Wobby compared to the more intense deadlines at school. "I liked working with not much pressure. At Wobby, it’s more relaxing to work compared to working with deadlines at school," she explains. "I always feel like my work has to look good for everyone, like teachers and classmates. Here, working for someone is way more relaxed because they trust what you can do."
For future interns, she has a simple yet valuable piece of advice: "Just relax, and it’s just not that deep. Enjoy what you’re doing and take yourself not that seriously, and that’s exactly what the magazine is about."
Roos is a New Design student at St. Joost School of Art & Design in Breda and creates multi-disciplinary designs in a fun way, with a fascination for combining analog and digital techniques. She shares with us her experiences of interning at Wobby.
Roos finds her internship at Wobby to be a valuable and enjoyable experience. As a design student, she was drawn to Wobby for its mix of creativity and hands-on projects. "I like variety in the work I do, and Wobby offers just that with a mix of events, workshops, the publication, and social media," Roos shares. She is also working on creating custom icons for Instagram, which will be Riso printed for the highlights, adding another creative layer to her internship projects.
Throughout her time here, Roos has had the chance to work on a wide range of tasks, from design to photography, using her broad skill set. "The tasks I’ve worked on so far have ranged from design to writing texts to photography. My skills are quite broad, so I enjoy applying them to different areas and developing myself in such a diverse way," she says.
In addition to her varied tasks, Roos is currently working on her own project for Wobby, where she is developing a concept for a DIY Wobby Zine Kit. This kit will allow people to create their very own Wobby booklet, featuring different spreads such as test prints, blank pages, fun facts about risoprinting, and many more exciting extras.
As with any internship, Roos faced challenges, particularly with the independent nature of the work at a small business. "It was a bit of a challenge for me to gain independence in creating work. But by planning, it eventually came together naturally," she reflects.
Despite the challenges, Roos has found the guidance from the team at Wobby invaluable. "Wobby has a small team, which makes it easy to ask for feedback, and the colleagues have a wealth of experience to help with anything," she explains. "The team is always approachable and willing to share their knowledge, which makes it easy to learn and grow."
For future interns, Roos has some simple advice: "Go with the flow, know what you want to learn, and go for it."