"THE TEACHING AT KEA IS ORGANISED ACCORDING TO REALITY"

One day, well into the internship, Mie told her department manager that she was thrilled that the department was working completely by the book. With a smile on his face, he replied that he was happy to hear that, but that they did not work by a book. On the contrary:

"I realised that it is the other way around - the teaching at KEA is organised according to reality," says Mie Simonsen.

"I can hardly believe how relevant the process has been. Pretty much everything I've learned at KEA has come into play one way or another. Not a day has gone by at Louis Poulsen that I haven’t used my professional skills. Even knowledge that I never thought I’d need. I have been able to talk professionally about everything from project planning and user perspective to vacuum casting, slip angles and crucial factors for cost price."

During her studies at Production Technology, Mie has worked with concept development and construction. And learned about material selection, manufacturing methods and business techniques. Among many other things.

"In the beginning I was worried about whether I had the necessary professional skills, but during the process I became certain that KEA has given me a solid basis for being able to succeed in the industry," says Mie Simonsen and gives an example of it:

"During a meeting at Louis Poulsen we had to decide whether a socket house should be produced by deep drawing, turning or casting. Based on my knowledge from my studies on manufacturing methods using different kinds of metals, I was able to make inputs and suggestions."

From the beginning, Mie's boss let her work as a development engineer on an equal footing with the rest of the development team. She has participated in brainstorming sessions, development meetings and was even written into the organisation chart. She has had meetings with a lot of employees from different departments - both in Denmark and the USA - as well as weekly status meetings with her boss:

"It was clear from the start that it was important to him that I - in line with KEA's vision - did not just possess knowledge but also skills," says Mie Simonsen.

She was given a very specific task, which Louis Poulsen had long wanted a solution to, namely the development of a standardised ceiling bracket for all the company's lamps. In this connection, she made a thorough data collection, which the company otherwise does not have time for. The team then held brainstorms, where they both individually and jointly developed a lot of different concepts. Subsequently, Mie has worked with concept selection based on established criteria, sketching, tolerance statement, 3d modelling, physical models made with a 3D printer, testing, documentation and review of suitable production methods.

And Mie's work is quite literally of huge value to the design company:

"We have 30 different lamp canopies, as they are called. If we can make a universal bracket, we can save a lot of money and only need one item in stock, but this requires that we can develop a piece of mechanics that makes it possible. It's great to bring in someone like Louise who is so skilled and committed and who can immerse herself in the project and not rush around like the rest of us. Mie's work may culminate in a solution, it may also turn out not to be worth the while, but either way, we have achieved clarification, and then we don’t have to discuss it anymore at Louis Poulsen," says R&D Manager Alex Møller.

Everyone in the department focuses on development, and everyone has always listened to and shown interest in the suggestions and inputs that Mie has made:

"Among other things, it has been decided that Louis Poulsen's products should be developed with a greater focus on the environment. This raises a lot of problems with e.g. the choice of materials such as recycled materials, which do not have the same properties as new materials. It may, for instance, result in less opacity, which then changes the spread of light. I suggested using the material selection program 'Granta', which I have used several times during my studies. During the concept selection phase, I also proposed to develop a scoring system where the concepts can be compared and weighted according to established criteria," says Mie Simonsen.

Conversely, the company has given her a well-structured internship experience with many opportunities for development: "They have broadened my horizons. Among other things, I have learned the importance of always being open to alternatives rather than quickly locking yourself in a certain direction. Louis Poulsen has not only enriched me with a thoroughly superb internship filled with professional development and new acquaintances, it has also confirmed me in my study choice. I am passionate about product development, and saturated with experiences and impressions, I am hungry like never before. Hungry for more."

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English text by Camilla Reslet