PREMIUM: first meeting with the client

The first meeting with the PREMIUM client followed shortly after the Mix & Match event. I was extremely happy to be assigned to the project I was passionate about and I could not wait to start working on it. Although I have talked to the client during the event, I had yet to meet the whole team: my teammates, the coach, and the mentor. I was quite nervous about the meeting, because I was about to meet the people I would be working intensively together with for a few months.

The meeting went very well. The atmosphere was informal and relaxed. Everyone got a chance to introduce him/herself, and it was a great way to get to know each other. We started off with informal introductions by telling a little about ourselves, our background, hobbies, and interests. Then, everyone could also show a YouTube video that reflected their personalities. Some people shared their favourite music, while others decided to tell about their pastime activities. It was incredible how multicultural, multidisciplinary, and overall diverse our team turned out to be, and every team member could provide a unique contribution to the project.

After the introductions, we had a brainstorm session. First, the client told us more about the project: what had already been done and what were the possibilities for us. We had a lot of freedom as we could choose what we wanted to focus on within the scope of the project. On the other hand, it was also a challenge to narrow down the focus to be able to successfully finish the project within the set time frame. We heard lots of interesting ideas, as each team member could share their own. Together with the client we determined a possible direction for the project and agreed to meet again to come up with the final proposal.

Overall, I was very happy about how the meeting went. It was exciting to be working in such an amazing team with fun and enthusiastic people. I knew from the start that it would be a great learning experience for me as a person and as a student. Together with the whole team, we came to the conclusion that the first meeting was the beginning of an exceptional collaboration. I cannot wait to see where this journey will take us.

Written by Irina Pokhilenko (FHML)

PREMIUM Student 2017-2018