We reached out to Carla and asked her to share her story and update us on where she is now. Read on to hear about her path in Carla's own words:

"Hi! I am Carla, a Swiss product designer. It's a pleasure for me to give you a glimpse into my life as a designer. In the autumn of 2021, I completed my studies in Industrial Design at the Basel Academy of Art and Design FHNW. Already during my studies, I was fortunate to gain valuable experience in design, ranging from interior design in Zurich, to furniture and architecture in Biel, to product design in New York.

The internship at Prime Studio in spring 2020 was a very instructive experience for me. I gained a comprehensive insight into the entire design process of various products and was able to significantly enhance my knowledge and hard skills. What particularly intrigued me was the opportunity to gather initial experiences in the field of packaging design, which was a new area of design for me.

The internship was also something very special from another perspective. I completed my internship at Prime Studio at a time when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out and led to a lockdown. The employees of Prime Studio worked from home, and for me, the opportunity arose to go Upstate to Stuart and his family's country house to finish my internship remotely. I will never forget this time, and I am infinitely grateful to Stuart and his family for it. This period not only provided me with valuable designer experiences but also forged a beautiful friendship with them.

After completing my studies, I was approached by my university's Institute of Industrial Design to temporarily assist as a Research Assistant for several months. There, I had the opportunity to acquire organizational skills and improve my communication abilities. I also had the chance to organize talks, workshops, and exhibitions for the institute. Following this, an opportunity arose for me to join the startup company Cropled AG as Head of Design, where I worked as a Product and Communication Designer for two years. Cropled AG specializes in developing intelligent lighting systems for vertical farming. During my time there, I not only took on entrepreneurial responsibilities but also handled all design-related tasks.

After this exhilarating period at Cropled, I took a few months to step back from the design world to reflect on where my place might be within it. With fresh inspiration, I am currently in the midst of the application process and looking forward to a new challenge starting in January 2024."