Internship at ILME: Iga Dominczuk

Packaging and brand design student Iga Dominczuk joined the ILME team as an intern in August 2024. During four months at ILME, Iga, a versatile and gifted junior designer, quickly adapted to advertising agency life and became a valued part of the ILME community. As Iga’s internship comes to its end, we wanted to hear her thoughts about the experience.

What are you studying?

I began studying Packaging and Brand Design at Muotoiluinstituutti in 2021.

How did you land in Finland?

I’m originally from Poland and have always dreamed of studying abroad. When the time came, I started looking for opportunities that aligned with my goals. I wanted a place where I could focus on my education without worrying about high tuition fees. After narrowing down my options, it came down to Finland and Sweden. What tipped the scale for Finland was the degree program at Muotsikka – it matched what I was passionate about and felt like the perfect opportunity to build my future. It was a practical decision at first, but has turned into an experience I’m incredibly grateful for.

How has the internship at ILME been and what kind of tasks have you had?

It’s been great. My tasks have been really varied. I started with graph formatting, went through illustration design, flyers and posters and ended up with book folding. My cherry on top was a branding project from scratch, that was super exciting.

What was the best part of your internship?

People. People really make every experience, and it couldn’t be more truthful in this situation. Without the support and friendliness of co-workers this internship wouldn’t have been as satisfying as it was. ILME is a very open and welcoming place, ready to work through difficult situations, like language barriers, and not avoid problems. Freedom of speech and feedback shocked me and how much people have respect for each other. I expected stressful situations and cliques but was instead met by a close-knit community.

Was there something new and surprising about working in an advertising agency?

Absolutely. One of the things I’ve always wondered about is how people are able to make branding cohesive and really aligned. And especially, how designers can leave their self and diligently follow brand guidelines when the project is not about creating something “new”. At ILME I learned that they don’t. The work is not about erasing your individuality; it’s about having the empathy to step into the brand’s shoes. Every project has a little bit of the designer in it. As creatives and humans, we can’t be devoid of opinions and thoughts, even if that’s invisible to the naked eye.

Has the traineeship affected your future aspirations?

Yes, it has solidified my view of my career and proved, once again, that an advertising agency is a place I want to continue my career. The dynamic environment, the creative challenges, and the opportunity to collaborate with talented teams reinforced my passion for this field and showed me that this is the path I want to pursue long-term – hopefully in Finland!

We at ILME want to thank Iga, and also mention that her endless supply of memes, love of frogs and choice of Polish karaoke songs were a joy to have, as was speaking English as everyday language at the office – great training for all of us. Dziękujemy z głębi naszych serc!