Alumni Success: Lauren Mohns

Bachelor of Science – Interior Design
September 2007
Interior Designer – Westgroup Designs

What was once Lauren Mohn’s least favorite subject is now her specialty. Lauren works as an interior designer at Westgroup Designs where she is considered the expert at space planning.

“Space planning is like working on a puzzle,” Lauren said. “It is challenging at times but so rewarding when you can make it work in an efficient yet creatively designed matter.”

Lauren felt that the Interior Design program at The Art Institute of California – Orange County has helped her be successful by giving her a solid foundation on which to continue to build her skill set.

“There is no way that school can prepare you 100% for the real world but my program gave me a little taste of everything I might encounter in my career,” Lauren said. “So far I haven’t had to do anything that I hadn’t at least heard about, but I am still learning from the experts I work with everyday.”

Even though Lauren is still learning all she can, Westgroup recognized her talent when she presented at the graduate portfolio show.

“My portfolio gave a strong sense of my design style and it happened to match theirs,” Lauren said. “It’s hard for an employer to look at your projects individually to determine if you are a right fit for them but they can get a feel for your sense of style by the overall presentation.”

Aside from developing technical skills, Lauren also learned the importance of completing internships while still in school. She said her internship helped her appreciate the skills she was learning in class because it became clear how they applied to the real world.

“My internship helped me realize what direction I wanted to take with my design career,” Lauren said. “I enjoyed residential design but realized that commercial design experience makes it easier to move from one firm to another.”