As another summer comes to a close at Project Luong, we sat down with interns An Hoang and Arianna “Ari” Dupuis to talk about their experience making the jump from school to a professional design studio. From learning new software to working on real projects, they reflected on what surprised them, what challenged them, and what they will be taking back to school.

An: Ari, now that we are wrapping up the summer, what do you think was the biggest difference between school and actually working in a design firm?

Ari: I think the biggest difference was honestly the structure of working on projects. In school, especially when you are balancing 16 credit hours, there is a lot of pressure for short term output. You are constantly moving between studio, other classes, activities, and everything else.

At work, I was surprised that it actually felt a little more balanced. Obviously, you have deadlines and things need to get done, but there is more structure to how you work through something.

What about you?

An: For me, it was realizing what it actually means to design for a real project.

In school, we learn to explore ideas, respond to critiques, and develop solutions to design problems. Here, I was applying those same skills, but suddenly there were actual clients, sites, users, and constraints behind every decision.

I worked mostly on projects in the earlier phases of design development, which I had not really experienced before. It was interesting seeing how an idea develops through conversations between the client and design team and just how much consideration goes into a project before a final decision is made.

Ari: That was something I noticed too. There is a lot more process behind everything than you might realize from school.

At A&M, I had experience with hand drafting, design fundamentals, AutoCAD, Adobe programs, Rhino, and even a lot of plant identification through my horticulture electives. Those things definitely helped me adjust to the internship.

But I also realized that some of the skills I had developed outside of those programs were just as useful. I have been drawing and making art for years, and having that critical eye really helped when I was working on things like site plan renderings or logo iconography.

Sometimes being able to sketch something on paper was just as important as knowing how to translate it onto the computer.

An: I think that is one of the things you realize when you start working on actual projects. You have to think beyond whether an idea just looks good.

You start asking: Is it practical? Can it adapt? Does it respond to what the users actually need? Does it solve the problem it is supposed to solve?

That was probably one of my biggest takeaways from this summer.

Ari: And sometimes you also realize pretty quickly what school has not taught you yet.

For me, that was Revit. We had not covered it in my courses at A&M, so coming into an architecture firm that uses it was definitely a learning curve.

Thankfully, I was given time to actually train in the program before jumping into tasks like family creation and toposurfaces. Having a specific reason to learn something made me think about the software much more deliberately than I probably would have otherwise.

An: I agree. But I think the bigger thing I learned was not necessarily a specific program or technical skill. It was a different perspective on the design process.

One thing I saw firsthand was that design is rarely one person's process. Ideas are constantly bouncing from one person to another and changing as different perspectives and conditions get brought into the conversation.

You have to learn how to listen to feedback, ask questions, and then make the adjustments that are needed.

Ari: That collaboration actually reminded me a lot of group projects in school, just without quite as much of the chaos.

An: Laughs.

Ari: I am serious! Group projects in studio definitely helped prepare me for working in a communal office setting. But here, everyone has their own strengths, roles, and ways of approaching a problem, and you learn how to work within that.

That was also probably what surprised me most about Project Luong. I expected an office to be a lot more formal or uptight.

Instead, everyone is able to get their work done really well while still being themselves. People have their own personalities, and nobody has to turn that off when they walk into the office.

An: Yeah, and there were also a lot of opportunities to learn outside of just the projects we were assigned.

Ari: Exactly. That was actually one of the similarities I noticed between A&M and Project Luong.

At school, there are constantly speakers, lectures, and opportunities to hear from professionals. Here, we had warehouse tours, Lunch and Learns, and Project Learning on Fridays. You are still constantly being introduced to something new, whether it comes from an outside partner or someone sitting a few desks away from you.

Landscape architecture is really multidisciplinary, so I think you have to keep learning and figure out how to use the things you are already good at to take on the things you are not as comfortable with yet.

An: So what are you taking back to school with you?

Ari: Probably a better understanding of how all of these different skills actually connect. Drawing, software, plants, design, collaboration, even understanding how an office works. They are not really separate things once you start working on an actual project.

And definitely some Revit knowledge.

What about you?

An: Perspective.

After seeing how real projects develop, I think I will approach studio differently. I have a better understanding now of how design decisions respond to people, constraints, and practical problems.

School taught me how to explore ideas, develop concepts, and accept critique. This internship showed me how those skills actually get applied.

I am leaving with a much clearer understanding of the profession and how I want to approach my education moving forward.

Ari: Same. School teaches you a lot, but there are some things you really have to experience.

An: And I think that is what made this summer valuable. We were able to work alongside professionals, contribute to real projects, and see the design process beyond the classroom.

Ari: Plus, now we know offices are not all as uptight as we thought.

An: At least this one is not.

Ari: Laughs. Fair enough.

For An and Ari, the summer was not simply about learning new programs or adding projects to a portfolio. It was a chance to see how the lessons of the classroom translate into real people, real constraints, and real places.

As they head back to school, they take with them new skills, new perspectives, and a better understanding of what it means to turn an idea into something real.

At Project Luong, that is part of what #DoingMore means: giving the next generation of designers the opportunity to learn by doing.

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