A Well-Rounded Experience
Thinking back on my time at the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy this semester, the primary point of reflection that I keep coming back to is how well rounded my experience was. Not only did I have the opportunity to learn and implement new software skills, but I also was able to connect with a talented range of people.
Together with my intern partner Natalie Smith, we were given the opportunity to produce new and further develop existing, infotainment and in-car game concepts for the new BMW i7 vehicle. I had the opportunity to develop my professional, technical, and personal skills over the course of my internship in new and exciting ways. I was able to integrate myself with the technology and software utilized by the designers at the Academy, putting myself in the position to adapt new skills - just some of these being in Blender and Adobe After Effects. I took full advantage of asking questions, observing the work produced and trialing out different projects within the office and my own personal time. These skills were not only enjoyable to learn, but I was also supplied with great resources and help whenever I wasn’t sure on how to approach a particular task. Thus, resulting in not only more interesting animations for the BMW initial concepts, but also allowing me to create higher quality artifacts in AR for other classes.
In addition to the office environment being enjoyable and insightful, I was able to broaden my connections with BMW developers from Munich, Germany, on a weekly basis. These calls allowed me to build connections internationally and better understand the development process behind the well-known and respected BMW brand. Through these calls our project received feedback from a variety of project directors and developers where we discussed how our designs could be further developed and potentially implemented into future features. These experiences were unique and greatly appreciated, as they allowed me to gain confidence in developing ideas/concepts and presenting them in a professional way.
Overall, I would strongly encourage students to apply to the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy internship. Not only are you provided with the opportunity to gain experience as a designer on a technical level, but you are exposed to the opportunity of creating connections across a variety of disciplines with vast skill levels and experiences on a global scale. I was able to push myself to become deeper integrated with industry level software and had the opportunity to collaborate with talented individuals on interesting and unique projects. I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Academy, and to collaborate with talented and supportive designers.
Thanks for reading,
Bianca Durcau-Vaida
BMW Group + QUT Design Academy Intern, Semester 2 2022
