A DAY IN THE LIFE WORKING IN A KENYAN INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM

Every department has a different take of a day in their life working in a design firm. I personally work under the design department. This department is divided into two: The Interior design and the Graphic Design department. We basically combine our creative knowledge with our artistic ability in order to create work that revolves around visual communication.

A DAY IN THE LIFE WORKING IN A KENYAN INTERIOR DESIGN FIRM

Every department has a different take of a day in their life working in a design firm. I personally work under the design department. This department is divided into two: The Interior design and the Graphic Design department. We basically combine our creative knowledge with our artistic ability in order to create work that revolves around visual communication. This is what it is like in the day of a graphic designer working in a Kenyan Interior Design firm:

Commuting to work

My typical day begins around 6.00 a.m. I start my journey to work at 6.30 a.m. and reach by 8.00 a.m. This daily journey can entail listening to podcasts, playing relaxing music and finding inspirations for the day ahead. I take time very seriously so I am usually in the office either before time or on time, I know people who can attest to that.

Work Day begins

By 8.10 a.m. everyone in the office is usually settled and ready to begin the day. It is at this stage, where as a designer, you plan your day. This involves checking if work from the previous day or work that has been ongoing is complete. It also involves checking if there are new projects to work on. The head of the design department finishes planning and if necessary, he calls all the designers for a meeting to brief them on what is required of them. Often, I am not that involved in this process but where I am needed, I come through.

Tea Break

No one will say it but this is the favorite and liveliest part of the day. At around 9.30 a.m., the charwoman brings tea and snacks which people munch to give them energy for the day. This is the point where employees become livelier and the dead silence in the office is broken.

Work

By 10.30 a.m., we are all fully settled and ready to continue with our work and projects. I personally, use this time to edit photos and come up with relevant captions for them. I also use this time to do some writing and edit some videos. Other members of the design team rectify their layouts and sometimes are sent to sites if the specific site they are working on requires attention. This is typically what goes on till lunchbreak.

Lunchbreak

At 1.00 p.m., we break for lunch at our own free will. We all have an hour to eat and refresh. 90% of the time, I carry packed lunch. It saves me a lot of money and obviously home food is better than anywhere else’s. If I do not have packed lunch, there are various places where one can buy food depending on your taste and budget. By 2.00 p.m. , I settle back in the office and continue doing whatever work I have left.

Work continues

By the time the afternoon reaches, it is possible that one feels like slacking but we have no option but to continue working. Well, the typical day should end at 5.00 p.m., but this is not always the case. If the workload is too much, designers work overtime. When you work overtime, you raise a budget, the company caters for transport and dinner.

Commuting back home

There is no specific timeline for me when it comes to this but most days, I am home by 8.00 p.m. On the way I listen to my playlists or saved podcasts. I do not do much when I reach home. I eat, unwind and maybe catch up on a movie or a show then retire to bed ready for the next day.

That is basically how a day in the life working in a Kenyan interior design firm is from my point of view. Let me know yours! Contact us.