Meet our new Design Intern, David Balaam
We are excited to introduce our newest recruit, David Balaam, who joins the PDR team as a Design Intern. Being halfway through his internship, David has already worked on various projects granting him insight into the industry and practical experience. To better understand what a Design Intern does and to get to know more about David, we asked him some questions.
What appealed to David about the Design Intern role? “The breadth of work and all the opportunities to learn at PDR stood out to me. I like that they involve genuine scientific and academic research in their design work, substantiating their decisions rather than just following others and trends. They are a successful company that has received numerous awards and is involved in countless aspects of the design industry, including medical and high-end industrial engineering, and intends to move more into design for sustainability which is a big draw.”
The breadth of work and all the opportunities to learn at PDR stood out to me. I like that they involve genuine scientific and academic research in their design work, substantiating their decisions rather than just following others and trends.
David Balaam | Design Intern | PDR
Asking David what he previously did before joining PDR, he states “I just graduated from university where I studied Sustainable Product Design. Before that, I had been working in the Marine Industry where I worked on boats. I built and restored wooden boats as well as sailed and rigged traditional boats and ships, all in about 10 years. I've always enjoyed trying new things, and one of my favourite parts of building or fixing something is coming across interesting problems that need to be solved. This was one of the reasons I wanted to go to university - to try something new and to expand my options for new paths and careers.”
So, what does a day look like at PDR? David says, “I’m keeping myself busy with a few different projects at the moment. Although, I’m able to go up to different designers on the team and discover what interesting things they are working on to see if I can get involved in some way. One of the projects I have been working on is more engineering based, so I spend quite a bit of time in the workshop where I test prototypes. This is where I try to improve on them and try to understand the different options to make this possible. Then I might go to a brainstorm session or sit in on meetings and be given some tasks to cut my teeth on.”
Discussing what the team and culture is like at PDR, David tells us, “Everyone made me feel so welcome during my first week. The team is very friendly and will always make the effort to check in with each other. It’s a great environment to be in! We also get to share what we've been working on with one another, which I find really inspiring; you can learn a lot from the team.”
Outside of work, David enjoys spending time in nature and long adventurous weekends. “I just love being outside in nature, being active and going on lots of adventures!”
When asked about a secret talent the team may not know of, David remains true to his creative spirit. “If I spot a pallet laying around in my area I will ask if it’s no longer wanted and will take it home with me where I break it apart and build something out of it. I enjoy creating things all the time! I’ve also just started a textile and sewing course to get better at fixing my clothes and eventually make my own.”
The PDR team extends a warm welcome to David. We are so happy to have him be a part of the team!
Learn more about what it’s like working at PDR, or to discuss an idea, contact us.