INTERNSHIPS FAQS

DO YOU OFFER INTERNSHIPS?
Yes we do. We usually offer internships which last for three months, that means there are only four available per year, so competition is very high. There is usually a waiting list so you need to apply up to six months in advance.

HOW LONG IS THE INTERNSHIP FOR?
As above, internships last for up to a maximum of three months, with a trial period of one month at the beginning to make sure you fit in.

DO YOU HELP FIND ACCOMMODATION?
No. We are a very small studio and unfortunately we do not have the resources to help interns find accommodation. If you are from outside London you will have to find a place to stay.

DO YOU TAKE ON STUDENTS BASED OUTSIDE THE UK?
We do not usually take students who are based outside the UK for a couple of reasons. Firstly, as above, we are unable to help find accommodation. Living costs in London and the UK are high and we would not ask a foreign student to take on such a financial burden. Secondly, we prefer to interview possible interns before granting applications. If you are not based in the UK it is difficult for you to come in for an interview. If however, you are able to come to the UK for interview and find and fund your own accommodation in London, then we will consider your application like anyone else applying.

DO YOU TAKE ON FOREIGN STUDENTS?
Yes, although we ask that you have a high level of spoken and written English. Recently we have had students from Bulgaria, Saudi Arabia, Spain and Japan, all of whom had all studied in the UK and were based in London.

WHAT IS THE PROCESS FOR APPLICATIONS?
1. The first step is to send us an email with a PDF of your work to portfolio@barnbrook.net; make sure it is a manageable size (under 5MB). If we think you are unsuitable we will let you know within a week or so. We do look at every portfolio that is sent to us but we are a small and busy studio so it may take a few days for us to reply.
2. If we think you are suitable, we will let you know what your application is being considered. Over the course of a few weeks (or sometimes months) we then collect a few PDFs of people who we think are suitable and select three or four to come in for an interview. At this stage we will let you know if you have been selected for interview or not.
3. If you are selected for an interview then we will ask you to come to our studio in London to show us your work and talk about yourself. If we like what you do and think you are a nice person we will invite you to join us for an internship.

HOW DO I APPLY?
As above the first stage is to send us an email with a PDF of your work to portfolio@barnbrook.net; make sure it is a manageable size (under 5MB).

IS THERE ANYTHING THAT WILL HELP ME GET AN INTERNSHIP?
Our main concern is that you are creative, have a passion for design, a good knowledge of typography and an interest in what we do. Of less importance for us is where you studied, what software you can use, or your experience of working for Sainsbury’s.

AFTER ALL THIS, IS IT WORTH APPLYING?
We believe that if you are right for us you will be spotted very quickly, so yes it is.

STUDENT INTERVIEW / PROJECT QUESTIONS / FREE FONTS / WORK SAMPLES

Frequently Asked Questions:

CAN YOU SEND ME SOME FREE FONTS/SAMPLES OF YOUR WORK?
We set up this website specifically for people to access samples of our work as we don’t have enough time to respond to all the requests, so you will have to use this website for your research. We do not give out copies of free fonts for student projects under any circumstances.

I WANT SO SEND YOU SOME QUESTIONS FOR MY THESIS OR PROJECT AND IT IS VERY IMPORTANT YOU ANSWER THEM
Currently we get around 50 requests a week for interviews or for Jonathan Barnbrook to answer thesis or project questionnaires, all of which the senders regard as really important. So although some are answered many are not. Its fairly hit and miss, he is busy doing what he loves best - design work, so he fits them in when he can. Our advice is before you contact us, please check the interviews in the Q&A section as many of the questions that students ask are answered there.

WHY DO SO FEW DESIGNERS ANSWER MY QUESTIONS THAT I SEND OUT?
Some students send out the huge complicated questionnaires to many designers and do not realise the amount of time it takes to respond properly, other questionnaires are so open-ended that the time taken to answer means that it is impossible to even begin to respond to. The answer is to do a bit of more of the research work yourself, either in the questions you ask or seeing if they have been answered elsewhere. People who have no idea what we do and send a very generic letter will go unanswered. Please also be polite, if you receive a reply then write back and say you received it, it’s not much to ask but sometimes its exhausting spending time on stuff and not knowing if the person even used it.

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