In the past few months, I have interned at Ink Social Design for my study in cultural psychology. The internship was originally meant to last only three months, but since that is quite short, I managed to arrange to start a bit earlier, working one day a week. During my first visit, I was warmly welcomed by everyone in the office, even though I still needed to have my second interview. From the beginning, Ink made me feel like interns could become part of the team, and that's how I have felt for the past three months.
I have a background in psychology and sociology and am now pursuing a master's in cultural psychology. Before Ink, I had never heard of a social design agency. When I came across it, I was very excited to find an organization that was making an actual impact in society and using behavioral science to improve processes. You can always read a lot on a website about what an organization stands for and what they are doing, but it quickly became clear that this design studio truly puts its words into action. I was looking for a place that could translate my theoretical knowledge into practice, and I was pleased that Ink had clearly incorporated this translation within their design process.
During my internship, I was mainly involved in a project that Ink initiated, Stichting Mensenkenners. Because this project is still in its early stages, I immediately noticed there were many opportunities to come up with suggestions and think along with the future of the organization. I was able to use my social psychology background to conduct research, start a community of ambassadors, and conduct interviews to gain insights to improve the training. I was given a lot of responsibility and was able to leave my mark on the project, which gave me a lot of motivation. At the same time, I also got to participate in projects within Ink, where I experienced how behavioral science is applied within social design and discovered its application in various projects. An underlying feeling I always had while studying was that I could not directly see how the theory I was learning could be applied to society. Now that I see Ink increasingly using behavioral science as the foundation of their projects, I am glad to have found a place where this application actually happens!
