Gensler's Junior Internship Programme

Introduction

Gensler, a renowned global design firm, partnered with Unherd, an innovative educational startup from Bangalore, to provide students with a firsthand look into the professional design world. Through Gensler’s Gserve Design For Change Program, students were offered a Junior Internship, allowing them to participate in real design projects and experience the day-to-day dynamics of working at a leading design firm.

About Unherd

Unherd is dedicated to transforming how students in India explore and decide on their career paths. Focusing on experiential learning, apprenticeships, and mentorship, Unherd’s mission is to help high school students understand and experience a range of career options, enabling them to make informed decisions about their futures. The organization fosters an environment that encourages exploration across diverse fields, supporting students in their career discovery journey.

What is Gensler?

Gensler is a global design and architecture firm organized into 16 diverse practice areas covering a broad spectrum of industry sectors that deliver a range of project types for clients around the world. Gensler’s staff has a diverse range of backgrounds, including design, architecture, statistics, humanities, arts, and more. Their objective is to holistically enhance the human experience by harnessing the power of design to initiate positive change and create a future that promotes equity, resilience, and well-being for all.

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Why did I appled?

The internship, spanning roughly three months, required me and my selected peers to be on-site twice a week. My interest in creating social impact and my curiosity to learn about the design process motivated me to apply for this opportunity. While I had limited knowledge of how design firms operate, my main focus was to learn the principles and methodologies of design to gain clarity for my future career path. This project seemed like an ideal starting point to explore the discipline and gain hands-on experience.

The project

Our project aimed to improve the infrastructure of Nirmala Vidhyalaya in Anekal, Bangalore, a school under the ACTS Group of Institutions. Since 1979, ACTS has focused on education, environmental initiatives, and social entrepreneurship for communities across India, working in underserved areas to empower children and young adults. Our objective was to develop solutions through design-led research to provide essential facilities for the school.

To begin, we worked with foundational data—including measurements, planning documents, infrastructure details, and survey images—gathered by our facilitators. Analyzing these, we brainstormed, compared, and identified key infrastructure issues in the school environment. We researched international school designs, using them to generate ideas for improving both the interior and exterior learning spaces. We mapped the needs and interests of both internal and external stakeholders, from furniture to classroom facilities, and aligned these with identified issues to propose actionable solutions.During one of the last weeks of the internship is when we visited the field to interact with the alumni.

Observations and Findings

The classrooms we studied were compact, with densely arranged seating, limiting both movement and comfort. Long, attached desks and benches meant students in an entire row had to stand up to allow one person to pass, creating a cramped and uncomfortable environment. Additionally, classrooms lacked adequate ventilation, natural lighting, and sufficient room for movement. Plastic tables struggled to support the weight of books and supplies, and classrooms lacked billboards or display areas for student work. The infrastructure was further challenged by water leakage from the Corrugated Roofing Sheets during the monsoon, causing dampness and wall damage.

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This experience gave us a realistic view of the challenges facing schools like Nirmala Vidhyalaya, reinforcing the value of design as a powerful tool for social impact and functional improvement.

Project Decisions and Approach

Two of my teammates decided to focus on the school’s exterior space, prompting us to ask students directly about their experiences and challenges with the current layout. Our initial data on the outdoor space was limited to basic measurements, as we couldn’t find detailed images online. The school’s lack of a quadrangle or staging area in the playground posed a challenge for holding events and celebrations with an organized setup. Limited funding also prevented the school from building playground structures for younger students, such as swings, slides, and seesaws. Most students expressed a preference for an amphitheater-style space over traditional quadrangles, and we also considered integrating gym equipment into the area.

Our facilitator introduced us to empathy mapping to better organize the feedback we gathered. We categorized data into four quadrants—Says, Thinks, Does, and Feels—which helped us sort and analyze the information more effectively. This approach allowed us to deepen our understanding of the students’ perspectives and consider what it might be like in their position.

With the limited space available, our team decided on an amphitheater as the primary design option. We opted for a semi-circular structure, as a rectangular stage would take up more space, while the curved design allowed for better use of the area. Inspired by tent-like structures, we conceptualized an amphitheater with a waterproof fabric roof, wooden benches for seating, and natural grass flooring. Additionally, we planned to add gym equipment for physical activities in the play area. Using CAD, we created preliminary mock-ups to visualize and refine our ideas.

Reflections

This internship gave me meaningful insights into the design industry, marking my first encounter with design as a discipline. The most memorable part of the experience was the empathy phase, where communicating with children in their regional language allowed us to build rapport and gather genuine input. Their enthusiastic responses motivated us to re-evaluate and improve our design approach, highlighting for me the power of connection in the design process. This experience fueled my aspiration to pursue a career in social and environmental design, emphasizing the value of contributing to the community.

The internship also presented the challenge of balancing creative goals with budget limitations, which was an eye-opening reality check. Working within financial constraints required a blend of creativity and practicality, urging us to find solutions that were both cost-effective and visually appealing. This taught me the importance of strategic planning and resource management, which are essential for any project’s success. Ultimately, this experience deepened my understanding of the design process, underscoring the balance between innovation and real-world feasibility.