BRACAU 27 BLOG'S

Hyper Island graduate, Christian Johansson, was recently interviewed by Digital Abstracts on what inspired him to become a designer, what made him kiss his mama goodbye, leave Sweden and Hyper Island and how he ended up at Your Majesty in New York. There is also some thoughts on Flash, the pros and cons of being a Senior Art Director and what to do if you feel uninspired.

Read the article here

Six guys from Hyper Island's Digital Media 10 class decided to fly across the Atlantic Ocean and try their luck at different agencies in the land of the brave and home of the free. By the looks and sound of it, there is no place they would rather be.

HINYC REPORT from Gregory Solenström on Vimeo.

For the third year in a row Hyper Island will go on a unique World Recruitment Tour during the end of 2009 and early 2010.

Apply here:
http://tour.hyperisland.se

Together with current Hyper Island students, parts of our staff will tour the world visiting the cities cited below. In doing so we're hoping to meet up with creative people who are interested in becoming Hyper Island Diploma Program students in the fall of 2010.

November
Amsterdam: 7
Oslo: 7
Sao Paolo: 14
Barcelona: 14
New York: 21
London: 28

December
Stockholm: 5

January
Stockholm: 16
London: 23
Amsterdam: 30

February
Barcelona: 8
Oslo: 13
New York: 20
Stockholm: 27

March
Berlin: 6
Stockholm: 20

April
Stockholm: 17

To visit the Recruitment Tour in a city near you, apply now!
http://tour.hyperisland.se

Applying to the Recruitment Tour is your one and only chance to get accepted to the Diploma Programs at Hyper Island; considered to be one of the best digital media schools in the world! We have exactly 100 seats for the 2010 Diploma Programs, which means there will be competition.

A recruitment day takes approximately 10 hours and consists of:
· A personal interview.
· Meetings Hyper Island students and staff.
· An individual creative task.
· A team assignment.

You can apply to the following Hyper Island Diploma Programs:
· Interactive Art Director, Stockholm (1 year)
· Digital Media, Stockholm (2 years)
· Digital Media, Karlskrona (2 years)

In conclusion, Hyper Island is all about:
· Active participation and learning by experiencing, doing and reflecting.
· Trial and error. Mistakes are often the strongest learning experience.
· Working and progressing as an individual, and as part of a team.
· Using interactive media as a tool for implementing change and improvement.
· Guidance in self-perception and the power of group dynamics.
· Real clients, real needs - real learning.

For more detailed information, regarding Hyper Island, the Recruitment Tour and how to apply, please visit:
http://tour.hyperisland.se


"This is miles away from boring interviews, or competitive sessions where you have to beat others. The recruitment day was a small slice of what Hyper Island really is; an unexpected and pleasant surprise, every day"
--Xavier Feliu, Spain, Digital Media student at Hyper Island

Hyper Island is proud to announce that Anders Sjöstedt will be representing Hyper Island in New York City.

Up until recently Anders has been in charge of Sweden's largest cubator "Minc" and he’s also been running the management consultancy "YalaYala" in Copenhagen. Anders works as a writer and is frequently hired as speaker on the subjects innovation and growth around in Sweden. He also holds the position as director of "Swedish Creative Industries".

Starting September 14th this year, Anders will be responsible for all Hyper Island activities in New York City.

"This means that we’ll be able to work really close with what looks like the next big Hyper Island branch. The presence of Anders in NYC will help to keep our service level high in the city of cities", says Hyper Island CEO, Mattias Hansson.

Hyper Island already has a partner in the US; the new education effort Boulder Digital Works at The University of Colorado.
Read more here: http://bdw.colorado.edu

Hyper Island students have chosen to go to the US for internships and to work at agencies for more than 14 years now.

"In many ways, Hyper Island has a stronger brand in New York than in Sweden. The fight to succeed in the world's most important market will be a challenge, but many doors are already open for us here", says Anders Sjöstedt.

The first education effort for Hyper Island in NYC will be a Hyper Island Master Class for Executives together with the One Club on October 15th - 17th, 2009.
Read more here:
http://masterclasses.oneshow.org

For more information, please contact Anders Sjöstedt:
anders.sjostedt@hyperisland.se
+1 917 981 0302

---



Hi Anders! What's your view on Hyper Island and why did you choose to get involved?
Hyper Island has an aim to be the best in the world at what you do, you constantly improve yourselves and the brand is very strong internationally. To be involved in such a context is always great. I was trained at The KaosPilots, a Danish management school, and their way of challenging students is very similar to how Hyper Island works. I feel at home!

How's the business climate in NYC right now?
Everybody always struggles in New York, whether the threat is competition or recession, but the current situation leaves space for new solutions. Most people tell me that they have just as much work as before, maybe even more, but that they are asked to come up with more clever and less costly solutions. That requires creative skill, which is good for every city.

Why is there a need for Hyper Island in NYC?
Despite what one might think, most training in the US, even on advanced levels, is very traditional. The teachers talk and show, the class listens and copies. All training at Hyper Island aims at boosting individual skills, which requires teamwork, hard-core client cases and a focus on the participant's personal goals. This makes Hyper Island unique.

Where can those interested visit Hyper Island in NYC?
We're scouting for a location for the new school. Until that is settled, you can meet us at The One Club on East 26 Street. Me, you can usually find daytime at 11th Street Café, evenings at the free tennis courts on Essex street and nights at Joseph Leonard on Waverly.


Anders moved to New York in February 2009 because it's the best city in the world. When he doesn't work for Hyper Island, he tries to improve his tennis skills, consults the cotton industry on Barbados and checks out his B&B in Spain. He's a proud Aquarian, speaks six languages and has a very cute boyfriend.

The first Hyper Island Master Class for Executives in New York City will be offered on October 15th - 17th 2009 together with highly respected organization The One Club.

Register and read more here:
masterclasses.oneshow.org

Beginning November 1st 2009, Hyper Island will have representation in New York City and will mainly start offering tailor-made courses in digital for the industry. There is a huge need for training on spot in New York City, the clients are present and, according to the industry, no other educational institute as Hyper Island exists in the U.S.

"Executives are always right... But in one important question they are usually wrong - they also need continuous, off work, training. Hyper Island Master Class is tailor made to perfectly suit this demanding group’s specific needs. Anyone who take the chance to knowledge-boost The Hyper Island Way will be deeply rewarded", says Mattias Hansson, CEO, Hyper Island.

The Hyper Island Master Class for Executives is open for all professionals who feel that they need to raise their knowledge about digital and interactive communication.

"We are more than happy to make it possible for Executives in the communications industry to take a Hyper Island Master Class in New York City. The US industry professionals that has been traveling to Sweden to experience Hyper Island over the years have always asked us when we will offer the same opportunity on US soil. That time is now", says Mattias Hansson, CEO, Hyper Island.

After more than 14 years in Sweden, world renown Swedish education company Hyper Island earlier this year declared its new partnership with Boulder Digital Works in Colorado, U.S and will be offering unique short courses including Understanding Group Leadership and Hyper Island Master Classes for Creatives, Project Managers, and Strategists for the first time in the U.S. Register and read more here: bdw.colorado.edu

Hyper Island has already started the journey of internationalization. Since the start in 1996, Hyper Island has always taken on international students. All programs are conducted in English. This year Hyper Island has students from 14 different countries in the long-term programs, which makes Hyper Island one of the most international private educational companies in Sweden.

“This year we will be offering tailor-made courses based on the Hyper Island model throughout North America. I would be very surprised if we don’t offer full-time educational programs in the U.S within a couple of years”, says Mattias Hansson, CEO, Hyper Island.

For more information:
www.hyperisland.se

August 18th, SINGAPORE
Click 2009

September 21st-25th, NEW YORK
Advertising Week

October 26th-27th, NEW YORK
Boards Summit 2009

Hyper Island CEO Mattias Hansson will speak at Creative's Creativity and Technology event in New York today.


Creativity and Technology is a tightly edited gathering of the best creative and tech minds for a discussion of furthering creativity through technology.
The event will consist of presentations, discussions and A-list creative case studies, a gallery where tech suppliers will showcase their products in the context of the work that they've enabled, and breakout rooms where tech suppliers can interact personally with creatives and provide hands on learning.

Mattias will speak about the Hyper Island Way and what makes Hyper Island a Swedish education revolution. For more information, visit:
http://www.creativitycat.com

Other speakers include:
· Winston Binch, VP/Managing Director of Interactive, Crispin Porter + Bogusky
· Nick Bilton, Design Integration Editor, The New York Times
· Mike Geiger, Chief Digital Officer, Goodby, Silverstein & Partners
· Daniel Ilic, Creative Director, North Kingdom
· Manuel Lima, Founder, VisualComplexity.com
· Carlos Ulloa, Founder & Creator, Papervision3D and Interactive Director, HelloEnjoy

Tickets are available for purchase on-site at:
Metropolitan Pavilion
125 West 18th Street
New York, NY

http://www.creativitycat.com

Interactive Art Director 2009 students are currently doing their internships all over the globe. A few of the students checked in with us to tell us how they're doing:

"I'm doing my internship at Fallon in Tokyo. If you don't mind cutting down on sleep, eating great food, sit in parks under cherry trees, getting stared at or being able to buy birthday cakes at 4 in the morning; then this is the place for you.

The Fallon office is located in a nice area of town called Omotesando. The people here have been very friendly and helpful. I get to work with big clients such as Heineken and Lancôme. I'm also trying to learn Japanese, but it's kind of hard.
All in all, I'm having a great time over here!

Arigatougozaimasu! (A very polite form of  'thank you')"
--Adrian Tomic, at Fallon Tokyo, Japan


"The first thing I noticed when I arrived at Great Works was the great big wall with drawings and messages on it. Everyone who visits or works at Great Works Barcelona leave their mark here, literally!


Another thing I noticed was the attitude here, everyone is really friendly and very relaxed, deadlines are met but without stress!"
--Lina Wahlgren, at Great Works Barcelona, Spain


"Droga5 is a great place filled with friendly people who do some amazing work. I think that Droga5 have redefined what advertising is and can be. Their work just blows me away, so of course I'm very excited to be a part of the team here. The most inspiring experience so far is to be surrounded by all these talented people and have the privilege to work with them. I hope to learn more about the strategy behind a succesful concept and hopefully I can also contribute with some of the experience I have gained from my time at Hyper Island.

Studying at Hyper Island has really helped me increase my knowledge and skills in digital media and without this experience I wouldn't be where I am today."
--Filip Kleremark, at Droga5, New York, USA


"It’s 23:13 in Amsterdam and I’m still at work. But don’t get me wrong, I’m still here because it’s fun, and also because we got a deadline tomorrow morning...
I like the place and the people who are very friendly, something I noticed the first day. Wieden + Kennedy have offices all over the world but I can only speak for Amsterdam, and this office is great.
Got to get back to work."
--Johan Schönfeldt, at Wieden + Kennedy Amsterdam, Netherlands


"Arriving at Wieden + Kennedy in London, the first thing I noticed was that they had grown quite a bit since my last visit a couple of years ago. From around 50 employees to almost 160 – in the same office! That means that people are working in the kitchen, in the conference rooms, in the toilets (joking). Fortunately, Wieden + Kennedy is renovating a new building across the street to fill with people.

After almost four weeks, I can say for sure that the most inspiring experience so far has been the people that I have had the pleasure of working with. Everyone knows exactly what they are doing and why. With my former experience of sometimes having to work with less ambitious people, it’s a true relief that I don’t have to go on about stuff that needs to be fixed – it’s already been taken care of!

London has so far been a city seen from the tube, the office and our apartment, i.e. I haven’t had much of a chance exploring it yet. I have bought a bicycle though, so at least I now get to know the crazy left-hand traffic of the East end.

It’s only one week left to our pitch presentation so I better go get some sleep now. I’m beginning to feel a bit nervous but we (me and Hemant who is a copywriter from India) have some good stuff so I think it will be great. Welcome to optimisim, as we say at Wieden + Kennedy."
--Dennis Rosenqvist, at Wieden + Kennedy London, UK


Follow the class' internship experiences at their Internship Blog:
http://spaceisthelimit.com/blog/

Why did you choose NYC for your internship placement?
Well, I never expected nor planned to go to the United States, ever. Not for any particular reason, more the lack of having any good reason to make the trip. This lasted untill last winter, when good reasons started dropping in my mailbox disguised as internship requests. After having had a couple of interviews with several agencies I felt that Your Majesty was the most warm welcoming of all and provided the best environment and oppertunities to deploy and develop my skillset. This where I headed to NYC to find out.

What are the best things about NYC so far?
The long aftersummer, the vivid scene regarding anyhting that has to do with old or new media, and the fact that everything that exists or happens on this planet, coexists in New York, in some form (and at some price).

What's the coolest thing about the company you're at?
Fairly everything. The projects I get to work on. The high responsebilities I get in these projects. The people I work with, and the perfectionism they persuade. And ofcourse, the comfortable chairs.

From a learning perspective, why would you recommend others to do their internships in NYC?
Internship in NYC is not a nessecity. One might end up in NYC but learn shit. However the problem with NYC is, this almost cannot occur, there are too many inspiring companies and people here. The least thing you will end up with is a lot of contacts and inspiration.

What are the differences work culture wise between NYC & Sweden/Europe?
New York never sleeps, therefore New York never stops working. For the rest its all I expected it to be. Your Majesty has strong roots in Sweden and Hyper Island, that makes the work culture fairly the same. Lots of stuff in small timeframes. One strong thing I can find in comparison to the work culture in The Netherlands is that there far less "how-far-out-of-the-box-can-your-idea-be" mindset in NYC, making most of the projects actually realistic, realisable in the full stretch, something Dutch people have a hard time doing.

Have you overcome any struggles since your arrival?
The paperwork reduction act. I can't really imagine that there possibly could have been more paperwork to fill in.

What have you found in NYC that you know you won't be able to live without when you have to leave?
Hard one. They can keep all their greasy stuff, and the things that wake you up at night like radiators and gunshots. But I really enjoy all the cheap restaurants, Bleecker Street and the 24/7 availability of beer, food and transportation.


-Kasper Kuijpers, Digital Media 2009 Karlskrona



I chose to do my internship placement in NYC because of Your Majesty but also because I like world capitals like NYC, London and Tokyo. The best thing about being here is the internship - the variety of things I get to do as an intern and the amount of trust they put in me doing it.
NYC has such a massive amount studios and agencies so the synergy of the scene is great here. A lot of shows, talks, exhibitions etc comes out of the big mix here. Direct access to everything just minutes away. Everything made around the world, whether it's music, art, clothes or movies. It all ends up here in a concentrated ball of everything.

Your Majesty ping ping competition video edited by Erik:

-Erik Jonsson, Digital Media 2009 Karlskrona

I never made a decision about which city I wanted to be in, I was more focused in the agencies and their work. I applied for several agencies all over and when i found the right agency it just happend to be located here in NYC. I can't be more sure that i made the right decision to join the Firstborn team. I've learned more in 4 months than i did during the first year at Hyper Island!
The best thing about my internship is that I am surrounded with talented people that can teach me something new every day. They give me inspiration to work harder and keep the pace up. But there are always ups and downs. Even in NYC! And in that case, you can always check out the amazing frozen yoghurt place at 7th avenue, and you'll be right back on top again!


-Susanna Averpil, Digital Media 2009 Karlskrona

We arrived to New York full of grace, but at first we didn't understand this place.
Walking out the door we first felt insecure.
Taking the MTA we couldn't find our way.
A visit we got from a New York City cop, rules we learned and knowledge we earned.

As days passed by we felt more alive.
We learned how to find, all across town.

People are funny, they sing in the subway but not for money.
One week has passed, we started to work at last.
It's a thrill, we managed to survive because of night quill.

Our plan is to stay as long as we may.
Now we aim for the stars as we rock, because we are hypers from the block.

Don't miss us to much, we promise to keep in touch.


- Daniel Piquer, Félix Hill, Petter Säfwenberg & Madonna Arsan, Digital Media 2009 Stockholm

Hej from NYC.
After spending 3 months in New York I have the strange feeling of belonging here. Maybe I'm just too adjustable?
Manhattan is an enormous, fantastic, exhausting and for many, a lonely place. But I find it comforting and relaxing to know there are 1,620,687 (approximately) people living together on a small island.

I spend my days at TODA, The Office of Design and Architecture, I think one of the best places I could have ended up at my internship.
As a former fine arts student and lately digital media student, these incredible(and patient) designers are teaching me the art of graphic design from scratch. Never shaking their heads when it comes to my limited skills in kerning.

Everyday activities in the city includes: walking a lot, the occasionally after work beer, studying design, reading books at my rooftop, learning to play an instrument, wasting Sundays in coffee shops, freezing, sweating, eating with friends, (never cooking), walking in the park (norwegians need their Sunday walk...), mailing with Hyper Islanders in San Francisco, knitting, spending 3 hours in book shops, eggs and bloody mary brunches in Brooklyn, going to museums, eating enormous amounts of popcorn at the cinema, making new friends, going to concerts, and at the end of the day climb up the 7 stairs to my overpriced 2 square meter room in the East Village for a good nights sleep.

To be honest, I'm not homesick at all.


-Aina Cecilie Ørebech, Digital Media 2009 Karlskrona

On December 5th 2008, Hyper Island was featured in a press release article on Market Watch, part of The Wall Street Journal's digital network.
Read the article here!



News about Hyper Island's Recruitment Tour's stop in NYC has also been seen in the Consulate General of Sweden's newsletter e-mail "Fresh from Sweden":
"Swedish Digital Media School Hyper Island Comes to New York On Global Student Recruitment Tour

December 19-21
The world-renowned Swedish digital media school Hyper Island has launched a global recruitment tour to meet potential new students from around the world. Together with students, Hyper Island staff will tour world cities to meet up with creative people that are interested in becoming Hyper Island students for the fall 2009. The tour reaches New York on December 19-21, 2008.

Hyper Island runs long term programs for Digital Media, Interactive Art Director and Business Management, with more than over 260 full-time students per year. The methodology is all about real cases, by real people. Hyper Island's extraordinary mixture of lecturers from around the world, together with the opportunity to acquire an international
internship placement, prepares students for work around the
globe. Most importantly, graduates learn how to learn; they leave Hyper Island with knowledge on how to continue to evolve, which is a tool they will use throughout their careers."

On the Consulate's site, you can also read about Hyper Island's participation in a seminar on cutting-edge creative earlier this fall. Read more!



Hyper Island has also been seen in the newsletter of Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK regarding our upcoming UGL Leadership Seminar taking place in London on the 16th of February 2009.

"A seminar together with Hyper Island on UGL. UGL originates from the Swedish armed forces with the purpose of supporting companies and organisations in the creating, managing and increasing of well-being, quality and profitability.
Time: 18.00 - 20.00
Venue: To be confirmed
Price: There is no charge for this event
Read more: www.scc.org.uk
For further information and to sign up, please email:
eventsmanager@scc.org.uk"

Read more about UGL!

As I have mentioned earlier on this blog, Hyper island CEO Mattias Hansson has been invited to participate in the New York based seminar Cutting-Edge Creative this week. This year Cutting Edge Creative will examine the growing influence and impact of Swedish creative agencies on the New York market.

What I haven´t mentioned is that Mattias will participate in another New York event next week. Click is a one-day digital advertising conference, aimed specifically at anyone involved in producing creative work online. Launched in 2005 in London, Click has established a world-class reputation in bringing together leading creatives and their clients from around the globe to discuss the current state of digital creativity. The focus is on great work and the people that do it. During the day they will showcase campaigns from the best in the business and bring together top creative talent, digital gurus, leading brands and the most popular media owners to discuss the hot topics facing everyone working in advertising today.

This year Click will take place in New York City and Hyper Island has been invited to discuss the reasons behind the fact that Hyper Island has been sending students for internship and work at US top agencies for more than thirteen years now.

Before Mattias jumpes on the plane, I decided to ask him a couple of questions about the event:

Mattias, what will you talk about?
- What we do to attract, educate and offer world class talent. And how we do it.

What else are you looking forward to during Click 2008?
- To meet the great talent already there. I had a great time at the Click event in London last year and many of the people I met there have become my friends. You can always add another friend in your life.

Syrup just won the Adidas Fanatic VI soccer tournament in NYC. Congratulations!

What does it take to be on the team? We tried to find out by talking to Co-Founder Robert Holzer and Design Director Erik Jarlsson:

What do you look for in employees?
We look for excellent thinkers - those that show that they have a unique vision and can develop new ideas and make these ideas palpable for people to understand. This goes for designers, account people and programmers alike. It's not enough to be a great designer because one needs to be able to communicate a thought - hopefully an original thought.

Also, a curious nature is key to becoming a successful designer, as a lot of the work involves getting inside the head of clients and putting yourself in their shoes.

How did you first find out about Hyper Island?
It was many years ago, but our first contact came from students who reached out to us to apply for internships. Also, Jakob (our CD) is Swedish as you know and had heard of the school.

Our Design Director Erik actually applied to Hyper Island in '98 but was not accepted! In a stroke of revenge he was however later asked to come back to give a lecture :)

What do you think makes Hyper Island students unique?
I think Hyper Island gets very specific in teaching the skills that are very relevant to working in an interactive or integrated agency. This is a big advantage against other "art" or "design" schools that are much more general and teach a more abstract version of design that doesn't allow the graduating student to hit the ground running like the Hyper Island students seem to be able to do.

The key to succeeding at anything is your personal motivation level, the students that attend Hyper Island are not only very talented but highly motivated and interested in learning and understanding new things (although a few of the students do seem to have a chip on their shoulder coming from such a renowned school, but they soon realize there is a big difference between the safety of a class room and the real world).
 
What do you see in the future of the Digital Media industry?
Wow - big question ...well we are certainly living through another huge push forward much like the late 1990's.  The difference today is that the push is not coming from start-up dot-com ideas, rather a fundamental shift in the advertising industry. Budgets are shifting to interactive - online, web media and emerging media - and this is a trend that won't go away soon or explode in a bubble-like environment. While there may be adjustments, the facts are that a company's media mix is forever changed and the change is a shift away from a dependence on TV and print towards online.
This is of course great for students who will be coming out to a very healthy environment that will receive them. The downside is that the formulas are not figured out just yet and new employees need a vast range of skills to excel in this new environment ...in order to figure out the new world order, its going to take more than simply good design skills - the leaders will excel at marrying great design with great conceptual development.

Starting this fall, non-Swedish speaking international students are welcome to apply to Digital Media in Karlskrona. Why would you recommend young Americans to apply?
Good schools mean you are surrounded by good students and this above all you learn in class will always propel you further in your education. Hyper Island seems to be the place to be surrounded by other very talented people that will push you further. Its also important to be exposed to an international group of people so you can learn about cultural pulses from places other than your own - this is critical to being a great thinker and communicator.

What's happening at Syrup?
Wow - another big question - well, really what isn't happening at Syrup! We are growing very quickly and are taking on more and more exciting projects and clients. We have developed into a true integrated agency, executing campaigns across multiple media. From filming on location around the world for GE's Ecomagination project and bringing these films to the web, to fashion advertising campaigns for Lycra, Syrup's clients remain diverse and the projects seemingly even more disparate.
However, for the trained eye, its pretty easy to find the common thread with us - no matter the client or the media, the concept remains king around here and we are always searching for the best way to communicate our clients' messages in a way that will be compelling for the audience. We also get bored easily so having a broad range of clients keep things interesting around here ...it also doesn't hurt that they are some of the biggest companies in the world with enough work to keep us busy :)
 
Why should Hyper Island students apply to Syrup for their internships?
This is an easy one - they should come to us because in the space of 6 months or a year, they'll get 3 years worth of experience. We don't have interns answering phones, they do actual work and get involved in everything. We have no ability to have people sitting around for fluff so everyone has to perform - its that kind of environment. The same holds true for interns - we choose them very carefully as we can't have too many, and we expect them to be 150% dedicated (like the rest of the team here).
Through the course of their internship they will be challenged at every turn and will be completely integrated into the creative or programming team. "trial by fire" has a great way of making people perform at their best :) ...It's also New York City - the greatest city in the world ...oh, and we party as hard as we work ...oh oh, and I have to mention our ping-pong table - you have to come with or develop serious skills on the ping-pong table. ;)



Thank you Rob, Erik and Vida!

We met with Ogilvy New York to tell them more about Hyper Island. They were excited to get to know our students better - Arash Kazeminejad, Creative Talent Sourcing Manager tells us more:

What makes you interested in Hyper Island students as interns? What do you imagine makes students from Hyper Island stand out?
In my experience, Hyper Island students tend to be more well rounded compared to other advertising and design students. Most other schools seem to focus on the “big idea”, but Hyper Island students actually have the technical ability to execute their projects while maintaining their vision. I also like that the program puts an emphasis on conceptual thinking, management skills, and teamwork.

Is there something particular from the Swedish culture that makes students from the school a good complement at Ogilvy?
When I read about the past crews from Hyper Island, I liked seeing that students come from all over the world. I think the global perspective at Hyper Island is good for us because we are always looking for fresh thinking from a different viewpoint. The influence of Swedish culture is also very positive in a work environment because it is relaxed, but at the same time, very pragmatic. I also think that Swedish culture is unique because it incorporates design into daily lifestyle.

What makes Ogilvy a good place for students to spend their internships? Some may view Ogilvy as a huge corporation where students/interns could get less experience with real work than they expect, what is your view on that? From a student's point of view, what are the advantages of spending one's internship placement at a larger company?
Yes, Ogilvy is a large company, but size should be seen as an advantage, not as a disadvantage. As a company, we emphasize the need to have greater collaboration between design, interactive, broadcast, and print. This is a unique quality in the agency world because few companies have the resources Ogilvy has. We also encourage people to go beyond what a job description says and to take initiative if you think that you can add something special to your given project. I think that any Creative or Designer can appreciate this opportunity. A lot of other agencies talk about the depth of their resources and how integrated they are, but we are ahead of our competition because we have been running an integrated program longer than any of the other large-scale agencies. Unlike like many other large-scale agencies, we do not outsource our work. Instead, we do most everything in-house.

What about Ogilvy would you personally like to recommend to potential interns and hires in the industry?
Ogilvy is taking on new types of projects that go beyond typical advertising. For example, we are getting into areas such as building ecommerce platforms, creating and maintaining sites, as well as making branded content. We also have a very supportive work culture and emphasize that a person be well rounded on both a personal and professional level. All in all, an internship here at Ogilvy is a productive experience that will really enhance your overall thinking and growth.


Thank you Arash and Ogilvy!

Hyper Island has been around for almost 11 years now. Mattias Nyström from Crew 1, co-founder of Great Works is an example of an old school Hyper Island student still going strong:

As yours was the first ever Hyper Island Crew, how did you find out about school?
I was studying at the University at the time when a friend of mine saw an article in 'Ölands bladet'. Since I didn't really like studying at a University I jumped at the opportunity of trying out a new experimental education. 

What have you been doing since your graduation?
After Hyperisland I moved to London. I was there for 6 years working with a couple of agencies but unfortunately only one still exist - the OTHER media. The others either crashed during the .com years or have merged into larger networks.
Once back in Stockholm I met the guys I founded Great Works with. At the time I joined their production company - Speedway Digital Army. 

How many people co-founded Great Works?
We were 5 people that started Great Works in its current form. A sixth person joined as a partner and recently we joined a japanese network called TYO Group.

How many people currently work at Great Works - including your offices in Stockholm, Barcelona and NYC?
Around 50 people are employed. We are also always having a bunch of freelancers involved in every office. 

What knowledge from Hyper Island have you brought with you in your work life?
There is always a solution to a problem - Hyper Island fueled my curiosity to find that solution. 

In the "Why Hyper Island" film, your Barcelona based co-worker Kristian Lundquist says the following about Hyper Island students:
"I think they have a very interesting background in the network they come from. ... It seems all the crews still are in contact somehow" - what value is that to the students and you as an employer?
Hyper Island students seem to help each other when they have a problem to solve - be it finding a production team, solving a technical problem or recruiting someone for a job. It's a huge value.

Why does Great Works hire graduated Hyper Island students?
We try to hire the best talents wherever they are from and believe in a mix of backgrounds. However, some really good people are coming out of Hyper Island so having studied there is an excellent first filter in a hiring process. 

Any final words of advice to up and coming digital media industry talents?
Keep experimenting. Do what you can to push the world forward!


Thank you Mattias!

Crew 11's Johan Gustafsson tells us about his August 2006 - March 2007 internship placement experience:

I just got back from my 7 month internship at Big Spaceship LLC. in New York City. At Big Spaceship I worked mostly with animations for broadcast/web, and realized that motion graphics was the thing that really got to me. The biggest project I've ever worked on, was creating an animated theme for New Years Eve at Times Square. I was also involved in several major projects such as: Ghost Rider, Hungrysuitcase.com, Krispy Kreme Doughnuts TV-spots and Grindhouse.

Case Studies, as seen in reel below:
Target - New Years Eve theme
Creating the main animations for the celebration of New Years Eve at Times Square, NYC. This project had a timespan of 3 weeks.
The six different themes Target wanted us to create were: Cheer, Dance, Peace, Play, Hope and Celebrate.
We animated every theme separate for three different billboards. Reuters, Nasdaq and Discover.

This was one of Big Spaceship's broadcast divsions first jobs. For me, as an intern, it felt great to be a part of something huge like this.
See a video of the result here!

Hungrysuitcase.com - Royal Caribbean
Hungrysuitcase.com is a site made for the travel agency Royal Caribbean. Everything is based on a talking suitcase named Sammy. He's in lead of the entire show, telling you where you should travel, by letting you pack your own suitcase full of interesting stuff. Thereby, generating wether you should go to Alaska, The Caribbean, Mexico, Hawaii or Europe. This was a huge project that took 4 months, and almost everybody at Big Spaceship pitched in.



At Big Spaceship I was treated like an employee and was handed real client work from day one. When you're given that kind of responsibility, it feels like you landed in the right place, you hit the spot, you're home.
I'm really happy with my internship, I came to a great place, and I've learnt a lot.
The Big Spaceship crew did a really good job making me feel like a part of the team, a valuable member. Big up to the crew!

The next step for me is to keep evolving within the fields of Motion Graphics. This is the fastest growing extension of computer graphics, and it gets bigger by the hour.


Best of luck to you Johan!

Erik Engström from Hyper Island's Crew 2 has lived and worked in the US since graduation. We wanted to know more:

- Immediately after graduation, I returned to San Francisco where I had spent 6 months as an intern at MetaDesign. After a brief periond at Icon Medialab SF I was contacted by a few former colleagues who had left MetaDesign to start their own company that was to be called Method. 

This was in the end of 98 and it was a very exiting time in San Francisco, the “internet bubble” was inflating rapidly and business was booming. It was the perfect moment to start a company and I had the opportunity to be apart of it from the beginning. 

My first day at work we were assembling office furniture and unpacking our fancy, shiny, blue and white G3s. We were subletting a corner of an office space and it started out with just the founders and myself. Within a few months there was close to 30 of us. I stayed at Method for six years and I'm very grateful for everything I got to experience and learn during my time there.

In 2005, I decided it was time to move on when I was offered a job at Apple Computers. This was a very interesting time as I had the chance to work in a few different groups with everything from Retail graphics and window displays to user interfaces design.

After many years of rather intense work as an employee I wanted to try working on my own on a freelance basis and have been doing for the last year and a half.

What made you choose New York?
Moving to New York was anything but a career move considering I was moving away from all my contacts and moving to a relatively small city in upstate New York where no one knew me and nothing much seems to be going on work wise. It was a gamble but it worked out and I have been fortunate enough to maintain a lot of contacts in SF and create new ones in NYC.

What did you learn during your time at Apple?
I'm not going to deny that giving up my long employment at Method put me out of my comfort zone to say the least, and one of the most valuable lessons I learned is that you are usually capable of more than you realize and big scary changes can turn out to be a lot more manageable then you had anticipated.
More specific to Apple, I learned some things about the effects of hierarchy structures and company culture.

In what way have you utilized what you learned at Hyper Island in your work life?
When I think back on my time at Hyper Island I don't think about learning specific skills or obtaining specific knowledge but rather learning what the occupation requires and how to function as a member of a team. So in that sense, what I learned has been very fundamental and I utilize it all the time.

Have you felt that being Swedish has helped your reputation as a designer?
In some small ways, yes. I sometimes feel like it gives you this credibility that you have done nothing personally to deserve.

What recommendations on how to keep up to date would you give to someone who wants to work with graphic design?
I'm really the wrong person to ask. I don't make any conscious efforts to keep up. You get influenced by everything you see and experience, design related or not.

What would you tell a potential student who's not sure if she/he want to apply to Hyper Island?
In my opinion, if you spend your time wisely at Hyper Island you will be well prepared to tackle what work life throws at you. So I would say – Do it.


Thank you Erik!