Three×3

More about Three×3

Established in 2007, the programme was initiated by David Smith (IADT/Atelier) and colleagues, Brian Nolan and Paul McBride (Detail) and Ciarán O’Gaora (ZeroG). In 2020 we were delighted to announce Noelle Cooper and Colin Farmer’s Unthink would be joining as Threex3 program partners, taking over the reigns from ZeroG.

Internships and Stâges are a common and an integral aspect of European design education however the practice of “learning through professional practice” has never been successfully established or negotiated by Education and Industry here in Ireland. The programme therefore set out to redress the lack of any established internship programmes for graduate and emerging designers in Ireland.

Simply conceived, the internships are intended to bridge the gap between education and professional practice, and provide a stable and supportive pathway into a career in design. Uniquely the programme offers successful candidates a full-time paid placement for 9 months post-graduation with each intern completing three months with each studio. Originally open to third and fourth year students of Visual Communications in DIT, IADT and NCAD. The success of the initial cycle encouraged the partners to extend the programme to all graduates of Visual Communications in Ireland. Since 2008 applications have been received from, the best and most talented, graduated designers across the island of Ireland. Guidelines and terms of engagement have been shared and distributed broadly, and the partners and alumni have promoted this model of best practice to the beneﬁt of other studios and emerging designers in Ireland and abroad

The programme has seen many graduates gain a wealth of experience working on a large variety of projects alongside the studios’ teams, with some graduates going on to become full time members of staff.

If you are interested in replicating the programme or simply supporting good internship practice by adopting our policies or processes feel free to get in touch and we will be happy to help in any way we can.

How to apply

Applying to Three×3 is very straightforward. All we ask from applicants at the initial stage is to submit a single PDF including a cover letter and a selection of 4 recent projects…

Contract and Cash

As part of the Three×3 programme, all graduates are contracted to each design studio for three months. We have prepared a specific employment contract with this in mind. Although not…

Bridging the gap

In these strange times, internships may be one of the best ways to launch a design career, so embrace them — don’t avoid them. The Threex3 internship is a great opportunity to…

More about Three×3

Established in 2007, the programme was initiated by David Smith (IADT/Atelier) and colleagues, Brian Nolan and Paul McBride (Detail) and Ciarán O’Gaora (ZeroG). Internships and Stâges…

NOW CLOSED

Application for the Three×3 Internship Program is now closed. We would like to thank all of this year’s applicants for their submissions. Application dates for the next year’s Three×3 will be announced in spring 2023. For more information about the program and how to prepare your submission click here.