If you have the chance to take part of YouSwap, go for it!

Designer Inge Vanhees has spent the last two weeks working at Wunderman Barcelona, thanks to the YouSwap-program. Not only did she eat three(!) cakes and enjoy the Spanish way of life, she also liked the work atmosphere and inspiring colleagues. Curious to know more? Read on…

I’ve spent the last two weeks working at Wunderman Barcelona, thanks to the YouSwap-program. Here are my experiences:  

There are 150 people working at These Days in Belgium. At Wunderman Barcelona there are just 22. That’s why it’s so different from our agency. Because they all work in the same room, communication between colleagues runs smoothly. Everyone works together in small teams, with each team working for one or two clients so they really know their brands. Also, because it’s a small agency they all know each other quite well. I noticed how taking breaks together enhances the atmosphere and creates a relaxed place to work. In the fortnight I was there, we ate three cakes: one for my birthday, one for Anabel who is on maternity leave (she’s having twins!) and the third to celebrate Wunderman Day.

Marina makes the best cakes in the world!

For me, the best thing about this exchange was meeting so many people. My new colleagues were so friendly and funny. We learned a lot about each other’s languages, way of working and traditions. Because I was travelling alone, I met lots of different people from around the world in the hostel, bars and restaurants (from San Diego, Manchester, Hong Kong, New York, Melbourne, Barcelona and Seville, as well as from Belgium and the Netherlands). Hearing their stories was inspiring and it was a really interesting time to be in Catalonia as the locals shared their insights and thoughts about the history.

At the weekend and in the evenings there was plenty of time for culture. I visited the city, climbed the mountains in Montserrat and watched a beautiful sunset in El Carmel.

If you have the chance to take part of YouSwap, go for it!

Salutacions, Inge