How does professional experience consolidate theoretical knowledge?

Product designers gained valuable knowledge and practical experience during the internship, the second half of the third design START mentor programme launched by the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency. Based on the feedback from the participating design brands, the two weeks they spent working at the Hungarian factory of their choice notably inspired them and resulted in numerous new development ideas. They will build the experience gained during the mentoring programme, the knowledge sharing, and the experience of collaboration into their creations in the future. The goal of the mentoring programme is to stabilise the brands on the internal market and put the enterprises on a growth trajectory.

It is the third time that the Hungarian Fashion & Design Agency has launched its design START mentoring programme to promote and sustain Hungarian product designers’ professional and business accomplishments. The programme explicitly targets aspiring brands that first want to succeed in Hungary and need support to establish it. This year five talented design brands participate in the three-step programme, which contains a private series of workshops and presentations of 6 modules, an internship at a Hungarian factory and at least one trip abroad.

Krisztina Vándor textile artist, the founder of Vándor Studio, works mainly with natural materials, which counts almost as a curiosity nowadays. She wanted to do her internship with a home textile company, so she chose JAB Anstoetz international company with a long tradition. During the collaboration, she gained insight into the everyday work of a more prominent company and learnt practical knowledge from an experienced company that already knows the market well.

The founders of KOMOK, Péter Nagy and Norbert Juhász, develop unique, small-series lamps and furniture with external designers and manufacturers. They wanted to improve their company leading skills during the two weeks of internship at Lumoconcept, where they gained useful PR and sales knowledge.

Boglárka Mázsi, the founder designer of OBAI Concrete, makes small-sized concrete home accessories and unique jewellery. Her chosen company was Concrazy Kft. which deals with the production of concrete furniture; thus, it was an exciting opportunity for her to observe the process of creating different design objects. Working together was a complex experience and an inspiration for her.

Márta Edőcs, a glass- and jewellery designer of marta edocs, did an internship at Sixay Furniture, aspiring to create clean, time-enduring design objects. She took part in designing solid wood furniture and choosing the materials; moreover, placing the objects in an interior was an exciting experience for her.

Eszter Varga, the founder designer of Esstre, wanted to further develop her space divider product BUSH during her internship. The company of her choice, Fészek Részek, helped her form the product to a CNC working centre, which creates as few wood chips as possible during the manufacturing process, which is of paramount importance from an environmental point of view.

The eight-month training started with presentations by six professionals of the industry with extraordinary lives. The presentations taught product designers business planning, financing possibilities, design and brand communication, digital marketing, and law.

The aspiring Hungarian designers of the design START programme gained an insight into the work of French manufacturers after learning the theory and taking part in the inspiring collaboration during their internships, as the most exciting part of the programme. They are visiting the deservedly famous Maison&Objet interior design trade fair to close the programme as part of an international study tour.