Three interns, one playground

September 21, 2026

Noor, Evi and Richard are interning at Spark.

Three completely different backgrounds, three different reasons to start here. All three name the same freedom: taking initiative, testing, and taking on responsibility.

Noor Vermeer (19), Communication & Multimedia Design

Noor came across Spark through a guest lecture by founding partner Robert Barnhoorn. The Meds2go project stuck with her, as did the story behind the impact Spark makes in healthcare. At Spark, she works on the Instagram strategy, contributes ideas on colour palettes for client projects, and helps build a UX/UI interface for medical products.

Her first internship ever, and that felt daunting at first. Knowing it's fine not to know something yet made the difference. "I can ask for help and get proper guidance. Enough responsibility, with a safety net underneath."

Evi Ritmeester (27), Master Integrated Product Design

Evi spoke to Joep at the IO trade fair and wanted to see what the practice was really like. She combines a bachelor's in clinical technology with a master's in product design, a combination she can fully apply at Spark for the first time. She contributes to the early stages of projects, brainstorms solutions, and calls manufacturers as a project moves toward completion.

Moving from healthcare to a design studio took some adjusting. "At Spark, the mentality is: just do it. Very different from healthcare, but I'm happy to adapt. I'm involved in every part of the process, and the days fly by."

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Richard Holtslag (24), Master Integrated Product Design

Richard first heard about Spark during a presentation in his first bachelor year. He was looking for a technical, medical design studio with challenging projects, and found it here. On his second day, he was handed an assignment straight away: build a mock-up for a client presentation, finished within two days.

He tests a lot, experiments a lot, and discovers step by step what works. "It doesn't feel like an internship. I'm always building things at home too, and here I can simply carry that on. If you get stuck, you just pick up something else for a while."

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Help that goes beyond answering a question

All three mention the same thing: colleagues who are genuinely interested and jump right in. Evi recognises it in people who stop by her desk to ask what she's working on, with no criticism, only ideas. Noor points to a handy floor plan with photos of every colleague, so she quickly knew who to turn to for what. Richard describes the workplace as a playground, where everyone shares the same drive to build things themselves.

Advice for anyone on the fence

For anyone considering applying to Spark, the advice from the three interns is unanimous: show that you dare. Evi: "Enthusiasm is genuinely valued. At Spark, they want you to think along, and as an intern you become part of the team right away." Richard adds: "Don't be afraid to show that you're a designer with courage. Roll up your sleeves and just get started."

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