Ever since I started looking for my place in the design industry,
Overpriced has been somewhat of a guiding star for me. It was the
studio I looked up to, the kind of place I hoped to be part of one day.
So when the opportunity to spend my summer internship there
finally came around, I was beyond excited.

To me, Overpriced has always represented something to aspire to.
I have followed their work since my first semester at the academy,
and it has been a source of inspiration throughout my studies.
Getting to spend time with the people behind it was a pretty big
deal for me. Almost a little surreal, actually.

There is something quite strange about suddenly finding
yourself in a place you have been looking at through a screen
for years. Seeing the office, meeting everyone and becoming
part of their everyday routine.

One of the things I appreciated most was getting to see the stories
behind some of my favourite design projects. I got to hear about the
decisions, challenges and little details that never make it into the
final portfolio presentation. It was especially interesting to learn
about the less glamorous parts of projects I had admired for so long.
It made me appreciate the work even more.

For the first part of my internship, I got to spend some time in Kuldiga,
which happens to be the hometown of both my parents. In a small
town everything is a little slower, the streets are quiet, there is
greenery everywhere, and the whole place feels magically peaceful.

It was also fun to see how Aigars has slowly been leaving his mark
on the town. His work can be spotted in different places around
Kuldiga, giving the town its own little visual identity. I particularly
enjoyed getting to see how a designer can become so connected to
the place they live and work in.

Almost every morning started with breakfast at Celms Maiznīca.
It became part of the routine, and I don't think I could have asked
for a better way to start the day.

Duna lemonade was another regular occurrence. At some point, I
realised that I was basically living inside one of those Overpriced
Instagram stories, except this time I was actually there.

Aigars' studio deserves a paragraph of its own. I genuinely think it
might be the coolest room in the world. Every corner has something
interesting to look at, and there is always something new to discover.
Books, objects, artwork, little collections and all sorts of things that
make you want to stop working and just look around.

I was happy to see so much Christian art around me. It made
me interested in Orthodox Christianity and iconography. I even
started collecting books on the subject.

Another highlight was getting to see some original work by
Roberts Rūrāns in the studio. I have admired his illustrations
for a long time, so seeing his actual work casually wrapped up
on the floor was quite special.

Aigars also took the time to show me around Kuldiga,
including his house, which was in the process of being built.
It was lovely to get a glimpse into his life outside of work and
see some of the things he has been working on beyond
design projects.

One of the loveliest days of the summer was our little office outing
to Murjāņi for Māra's last day before maternity leave. We spent the
day surrounded by nature, went for walks along the forest trails and
by the river, and made pizzas outdoors. We also finally got to visit
the Imants Ziedonis Museum.

Perhaps the best part of this experience was getting to know
the people at Overpriced. I felt right at home with them. On my
last day, I brought pastries from Miera Maize, we played a few
final rounds of Fortnite and I gave a little speech about how
much this experience had meant to me. There were, of course,
some tears involved.

Thank you, Overpriced, for having me. This summer was
something very special and I will, of course, miss you!

Summer Internship at Overpriced

Kuldiga / Riga, Latvia

2026