2019 Winner's story
Nicole at Peugeot
Nicole Agba’s month with Peugeot was jam-packed with trips to Austria and Paris to work in a range of different departments with the manufacturer.
After a stint on the sales floor of the flagship Peugeot dealer Robins & Day in Coventy, Nicole set off for 24-hours in Graz, Austria, for the international press launch of the Peugeot 208.
Nicole worked with Peugeot’s PR team to test drive the hatchback and to get a taste, first-hand, of how the company positions its products to journalists. “It was a really intense day,” she says. “Sometimes I’m a bit guilty of just looking at the design of cars, so it was useful to get a look at everything to do with the technical side of things.”
Next-stop for Nicole was a week at Peugeot’s design studio in Paris, and an opportunity for her to further develop her skill as a designer. “I created concepts for a superyacht, and found that designing an interior space was a nice contrast from car cabins because it lets you use more materials that aren’t suitable for automotive design.”
She’s grateful for the networking opportunities the placement presented her, and for the wealth of experience she got from every department. “Peugeot gave me a really varied experience within all areas of the industry and I became completely immersed in the automotive world,” Nicole explains.
Nicole at Jaguar Land Rover
Nicole wasted no time getting stuck into projects as soon as she arrived at Jaguar Land Rover. Stationed in the Land Rover design department, she designed wheels and showrooms, as well as interior concepts for the Land Rover Discovery Sport. “The range of talent at JLR is amazing,” Nicole says. “Everyone has so much to give, so much to offer, and there’s a lot of creative energy flowing wherever you go. It’s an amazing place to be a part of.”
Nicole’s creative highlight of the placement was designing concept wheels for the latest Range Rover models. She produced image boards of wheels inspired by organic materials, creating a five-spoke design with forged aluminium spokes and carbonfibre inserts. “I enjoyed the interior design aspects of my placement the most, but those concept wheels are my proudest achievement,” she says.
After designing the wheels, Nicole’s final task of her first placement was creating a pop-up studio for the Range Rover Autobiography, designing a space that used furniture, art and facial recognition technology to showcase the luxury SUV. It’s been a great start to Nicole’s succession of work placements, and she’s very grateful for the first taste of professional life in the motoring industry that it has given her. “With opportunities like these, you’ve got to be original, and you can’t be afraid to air your opinions or suggest something that’s unconventional,” she says. “Some will like it, some won’t like it, but either way you’re expressing yourself through the brand and that’s really important to show.”
