Life in the Caves of NCAD
If you had told me I'd be here this time last year, when I was sitting up in the caves of NCAD, I would have bitten your hand off.
I had a great time in college, inside and outside the studio, and reflecting on it now I appreciate it even more. The freedom, the time and the space to fully explore and develop your own thoughts and ideas is something that everyone tells you is precious, but it's hard to see that when all you want is a real live project. The support of passionate tutors and technicians who are generous with their time and knowledge is a huge part of it too. Being surrounded by your friends all day, showing each other work, talking through ideas and having a laugh while doing it really sweetens the deal.
That being said — by the time we were finishing up, I was eager to get my foot in the door somewhere and get started in the real world.
London, Then Three×3
I was lucky enough to get an opportunity to intern with Nomad, which I was buzzing about. I headed over to London three days after the degree show and found myself sitting in the studio, which felt surreal. I had my fair share of nerves — going into a big studio so fresh felt scary — but the team were so welcoming and supportive. It was a hugely positive experience.
My six weeks in London were coming to an end when I had my interview for Three×3. It's something I'd had my eye on from the moment I heard about it. I admired the work of the three studios, but it was also the opportunity to experience different environments, different ways of working, and meet a variety of different people that really appealed to me. The biggest fear I had coming to the end of college was not getting a job, and the second biggest was getting a job and hating it. Three×3 was the perfect opportunity to get exposure to as wide a breadth of experience as possible, right out of the gate. Thankfully it all worked out, and I was accepted as a Three×3er.
I'm currently on number three, Detail — and I'm loving it so far. Across all three studios, everyone has been sound and more than happy to give feedback or advice. I've had the opportunity to work on some really nice projects, and I couldn't even quantify how much I've learned in such a short space of time.
Ideas Are Less Precious Now
The biggest change for me is the speed of decisions. I always find the most exciting part of a project is the early concepts — sketching out ideas in my notebook and on the Mac, pulling together fragments to form a concrete rationale that can serve as the conceptual spine of the project. Casting a wide net, collecting little interesting pieces and then piecing them all together to assemble the full skeleton. In college, this seemed to take forever, always searching for the perfect idea. Now it feels like ideas are much less precious — they either work or they don't, and that's okay. That gut instinct for what's working is one tangible thing I can notice getting sharper.
College did allow me a lot more time to poke holes in my own rationales, and I'd like to think that rigour has stayed with me. My favourite work always feels grounded in strong thinking — things have a reason to be the way they are, there's a compelling story, and it's executed in a considered way with a certain flair and quiet confidence. That's even more important these days, when there's so much polished work everywhere. Good ideas are what cut through the noise.
It All Started with Letterforms
Type is what I really love. Projects with beautiful type and strong typography are what I get most excited about — and type is what got me into graphic design in the first place. From a young age I had a huge interest in graffiti, but never had a desire to paint. For me it was always about the letterforms, before I even knew what that meant. I was also constantly inspecting the logos and patterns on everything in the house, from football boots to perfume bottles. I recently came across an old notebook from when I was a kid with some genuinely awful lettering in it, which is funny because I still constantly doodle letterforms, words and shapes. I like to think that I’ll pull from this bank of sketches one day and design a typeface in my spare time, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet.
What's Next — and What It Should Feel Like
As I come to the end of Three×3 I actually have no idea what's next. I love brand identity work, type-driven branding, brand systems, logo design, custom type and lettering — but I also love books, magazines and all things print. In a dream world I'd be working in a studio that does a bit of everything for some cool clients. An identity for a ballet, an identity for a football club, anything for a skate brand, and a postage stamp are some current dream projects — but this list changes regularly.
Honestly though, it's more of a feeling I want than a specific role or title. The feeling you get when you hear a song you like for the first time is the feeling I get when things start to click while I'm designing. You don't really know what it is or where it's going, but you ride the wave, follow your curiosity, and feel the joy of creating — and when it's finished and you step back, it all makes sense. As long as I can keep getting that feeling, I'm happy.
Advice for Anyone Coming to the End of College
Spend as much time around your friends and as much time in the studio as you can. Being around design all day is only ever going to make you better at it. The bits of tacit knowledge you pick up from hanging around for an extra hour — whether in college or in a studio — are invaluable.
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Instagram: @delany_bowes
Three×3 is a Dublin-based graduate intern programme. Applications for next year are open till 07.06.2026