POV: Interning at a Creative Agency in Tokyo
In 2025, YL Projects will celebrate its seventh anniversary. A key part of our identity has been the collaboration between our in-house members and freelance partners in creative fields worldwide.
An indispensable part of our in-house members are the YL Interns! Rather than being just “assistants” for side projects, our interns are active collaborators who work closely with us (and our freelance partners) on real client projects. Through this process, our interns gain practical, hands-on experience and a unique glimpse into agency life.
We had a chat with our former creative intern, Haruka, and our current creative intern, Joe, to ask them about their experiences and how they’ve grown through their internship at YL Projects.
Interviewee Information
Haruka Kojima ＠koart.haruka
Intern period: 2023 July — September (3 months) / Junior Designer
Intern period: 2024 December — 2025 August (9 months)
To begin, can we get a little introduction of yourself, your major at the University, and your position as an intern and its period?
HARUKA: Hi, my name is Haruka Kojima. I studied my BA in Graphic Branding and Identity at the University of the Arts London. I’ve always been passionate about crafting impactful brand identities across a variety of visual touchpoints that connect with audiences on a deeper level. YL is my second internship, having previously interned at ELLE Japan, focusing on editorial design and their social media content.
I was a creative intern at YL for 3 months, and it gave me the opportunity to apply these skills in a dynamic creative agency setting, where I was able to apply my academic background with real-world experience. After 3 months of interning, I started working at YL as a Junior Designer.
JOE: Hi! My name is Joe. I'm originally from Southend-on-Sea, a city near London in England, and I’m currently studying Illustration and Visual Media at the University of the Arts London. Whilst on my course, the opportunity came up to take a year out of my studies to undertake the ‘Diploma in Professional Studies,’ which involves arranging your own professional experience outside of a university setting. This is what led me to Japan, as I wanted to push myself out of the environment I had grown accustomed to and learn how to adapt to an entirely new one. My internship is ending in August, when I’ll have to return home for my final year of university after spending 9 months with YL.
You both are from the same University. Did you guys know each other before the internship?
JOE: Actually, we didn’t know each other at university. The YL internship opportunity connected us. When I got the intern position at YL, I was introduced to Haruka, who had coincidentally been an intern there previously.
Please tell us how you first encountered YL. What was the reason for choosing YL as your internship location?
HARUKA: I have always known that I wanted to work in a creative agency, and I came across YL’s website, where I saw they were offering an internship. I was drawn to their work, which sparked my interest in learning more about their projects.
JOE: I was looking for potential creative opportunities in Japan, reaching out to and speaking with people who had been in, or were currently in, places I wanted to enter. I spoke with a guy from Paris, who had spent the past year in Sapporo as a design intern, who shared with me his experience living and working in Japan. He recommended YL to me as he had found it when he was searching for an internship a year prior. I saw on YL’s site that they were looking for an intern, so I reached out and shared my portfolio with them.
HARUKA: What really sets YL apart was the warm and welcoming atmosphere I experienced during my interview with Yoichiro and meeting my team members. The positive energy left a strong impression on me and gave me a sense that this was a place where I could both learn and contribute to crafting meaningful work.
JOE: Same here. After speaking, I found that I really clicked with each of the team, and their ways of working.
What is the creative intern’s job?
JOE: The creative intern is mainly in charge of in-house design work. I had the opportunity to work on some of the content for YL’s Instagram. However, it doesn’t mean you are only assigned a specific task. I also had the opportunity to work on a plethora of projects in various roles. As an intern, I jump from job to job a lot, helping out the team with extra work or jobs when and wherever needed. The best part of being an intern is that you can join projects whenever somebody needs an extra hand. The experience of supporting professionals in various positions not only improves your design knowledge, but also deepens your understanding of the workflow of the industry as a whole and each position that is different from your own, and gives you insights that you cannot get on your own.
As for in-house work, with content such as the YL Journal and the upcoming YL Podcast, there is consistent work to create, providing an environment where you can thrive creatively. Because it is an in-house project, you can add a personal touch and enhance your connections with both the team and people outside of the agency.
Which project left the biggest impression on you from the ones you’ve worked on?
HARUKA: Before joining YL, I had created a 10-page fashion lookbook for a school fashion project, which was the shortest “book” I’ve worked on. From that experience, YL believed in me and gave me the opportunity to be in charge of designing an entire book initially. I felt so intimidated! However, I pushed myself to jump into this opportunity to challenge myself and create a 200-page in-house credential book*, because YL has an environment that allows even the interns to take initiative and see it as a learning opportunity. This was one of my favorite projects during my internship, as it allowed me to be open-minded and pushed me to design each page telling a unique story, making the experience of flipping through the book engaging and enjoyable, thanks to the team's support.
*credential book — The book of a collection of past project works
JOE: I have had the opportunity to work on a variety of tasks, but one project for a major travel media company left a strong impression on me, as I was able to grow into the role for the client. Through the six-month project, I was able to see the overall flow and the details, and I could also learn firsthand about the roles and work of various positions, extending beyond my role of design into strategy and communication.
What were the challenges or unexpected experiences you faced? How did you overcome them?
HARUKA: Whilst the credential book was one of my favorite projects, it was also the most challenging. The editorial review process and multiple prototype revisions took longer than expected. However, this experience taught me the importance of clear and consistent communication throughout the project, which is something that I plan to continue in my future work. Nonetheless, seeing the final printed book come to life was eye-opening and exciting!
JOE: It’s not a specific project, but what I feel through the internship experience is that mistakes are essential for growth. Coming in as an illustrator and learning how to adapt to design by challenging myself and what I already knew. Sometimes this was working on design, using new software or techniques that I hadn’t previously encountered. It was through these moments that you learn how to grow both as a person and a professional.
During an internship, you’re often expected to have skills and knowledge that go beyond what you can learn in school, especially things unrelated to design techniques or tools. What stood out to you as being particularly different?
HARUKA: School projects are usually fictitious; you have the freedom to explore different topics and approach your design as if you were your client. However, when working with real-life clients, learning how to pitch your ideas, handle fast-paced deadlines, and maintain balance in a collaborative setting can be challenging. All those gave me great insights and learnings.
JOE: University primarily teaches you how to work for yourself. At YL I’ve learnt how to successfully work as part of a team, with people relying on my work and myself relying on others. This synergy and way of communication is something I’ve had to develop.
What’s one thing you want to make use of from what you’ve learned at YL? Does the internship experience influence your future career path?
HARUKA: During my internship at YL, I learned the importance of being communicative and open-minded, which are the qualities I want to continue applying in my future career. These qualities not only enhance teamwork but also lead to more holistic and thoughtfully developed design solutions.
JOE: I believe that working with people outside of your industry helps your professional development. Exiting a space like art school, where everyone around me is a creative, means that I can grow beyond my practice whilst reinforcing the things I already know.
So, what do you want to work in the future?
HARUKA: I would like to become a senior designer, and hopefully one day become a creative director for my own agency.
JOE: Learning how to work in a creative agency has given me a foundation that I can build any creative career onto. Although I’m unsure of what exactly I would like to do, I will go back to the university first, and I would love to explore how the creative industries differ in Tokyo and London.
Please share some advice for any future interns starting at YL.
HARUKA: Don’t hesitate to ask questions if you’re unsure about anything. I believe open communication within a team is key to creating a positive work environment and producing high-quality and cohesive work.
JOE: Learn your strengths and weaknesses before stepping into the role. Use those strengths to train your weaknesses and fill the gaps in knowledge as you go. Also, know that your time is temporary, so try to say yes to as many opportunities as possible, especially if you’re from overseas. This will maximise your chances to try things out, even if they don’t always go the way you expect them to.
Last question! Use the knowledge you gained through your internship to come up with solutions for this brief. YL is your client, and they want to increase the number of Medium readers/followers. What proposal would you make?
HARUKA: Outreach through social media or create a newsletter? In terms of social media outreach, YL could create some sort of interactive engagement, making them curious and excited to read the journal. Whether that be an interactive post/story engagement quiz. I believe that considering the user journey experience is key when it comes to capturing and sustaining audience attention. As well as the newsletter, by first building a strong audience base through social media, YL can encourage more people to subscribe and become an active part of the YL community.
JOE: I think that YL has a really great team, each with their own personality and passion for the work. We should better utilise this by showcasing ourselves on our social platforms and build the brand to be beyond the logo, focusing on the people instead. This can also be achieved by shooting more in-depth BTS of projects, a look in-office at how YL operates, and any updates we may have. This will, in turn, grow the journal’s audience, as viewers will want to hear the voices of the people they come to know.
Thank you for the chat Haruka and Joe! We are excited to see how they continue to grow, and will no doubt achieve great things in the future.
Interested in joining the YL Team as an intern? We’re currently hiring new interns as well as other talents to work with us.
Please check our CAREER page here for current job openings.
Written by: Midori Nakajima
