Location: Chennai, India

Role type: Internship (6 months) |Full-Time | In-Person | 6 days a week

Working Hours: Monday to Saturday – 10 am to 7 pm with a 1-hour lunch break

Stipend: ₹10-20,000 per month based on experience

Reporting to: Nimi (Social Media Manager)

About the Role

As a Graphic Design Intern, you will support the execution of design work across these areas. A key part of this role is to take on day-to-day design production, allowing the Social Media Manager to focus on creative direction and strategy.

This is a production-focused role, where you will work within existing templates and systems to deliver consistent outputs across platforms.

Essential Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Fine Arts, Design, Multimedia, or a related field.

• Working knowledge of Figma and Adobe Creative Suite

• Basic understanding of layout, typography, and visual hierarchy

• Familiarity with Instagram content formats

• Ability to work quickly and respond to feedback

• Comfortable working within templates and defined systems

• Organised and able to handle multiple tasks.

• Good to have knowledge of Motion graphics or video editing

Preferred Experience

• • Fresher with knowledge in graphic design, visual communication, or creative design roles.

  • Previous experience in design internships or freelance projects.

  • Experience designing marketing collateral, social media creatives, and digital assets.

  • Demonstrated experience in print production, including catalogues, brochures, zines, exhibition materials, and packaging design.

  • Experience working on event communications, exhibitions, cultural projects, or creative campaigns is preferred.

  • Experience managing and organizing design assets across collaborative platforms such as Google Drive and Figma.

Key Personal Attributes & Skills

• • • Strong visual design sensibility with attention to detail.

    • Excellent understanding of brand consistency and visual identity systems.

    • Creative thinker with the ability to translate concepts into compelling visual outputs.

    • Strong organizational and file management skills.

    • Ability to manage multiple projects and meet deadlines in a fast-paced environment.

    • Collaborative mindset with strong communication and interpersonal skills.

    • Interest in arts, culture, photography, and creative industries.

    • Adaptability and willingness to take ownership of projects from concept to execution.

Key Roles & Responsibilities

Graphic Design

• Create communication materials for workshops, products, services, exhibitions, and events.

• Design hiring posts and announcements

• Produce posters and marketing creatives

• Create graphics for newsletters and email automations

• Assist in product packaging design (labels, inserts, etc.)

• Work within existing templates and brand systems

Organisation & Workflow

• Maintain organised design files across Adobe Creative Suite, Figma and Google Drive

• Ensure consistency across all outputs

• Manage multiple small tasks with quick turnaround timelines

What You Can Expect

• Real-world design experience across multiple formats

• Exposure to communication needs of a cultural organisation

• Opportunity to build a strong portfolio of published work

• Potential for a full-time role based on performance

How to Apply

Please write to us with:

• Updated CV (PDF)

• Portfolio (if applicable)

• Short cover note (max 300 words) explaining why you’d like to work at CPB Darkroom

To: people@chennaiphotobiennale.com

Subject line:  Application: Graphic Design Intern – [Your Name]

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

FELLOWSHIP TESTIMONALS

My time at CPB has been one of the most unique and enriching experiences of my professional life. I remember when the lab was just a shared vision that all of us worked to bring to reality and now our darkroom has become a go-to resource for analog enthusiasts not just in Chennai but all of India. I’ve had the opportunity to share the experience I’ve gained from a career working in analog media while also learning something new on every step of this journey. It is an experience that I’ll cherish for years to come.

- Gautami

Working at the CPB Darkroom is a wonderful opportunity to work with a team of experts in the field. The infrastructure and facilities provided have allowed me to experiment freely with processes such as wet plate collodion, black and white reversal processing and large format photography. The vivid life of the darkroom is something I will always cherish through the rest of my career.

- Anshul

My time as part of the darkroom team at CPB was instrumental in my analog journey. It offered unique learning experiences and resources that allowed me to indulge in various alternate processes and experiment with my practice.

- Indu Liza Benny

The CPB Darkroom Internship has deepened my understanding and appreciation of alternative and analog photographic processes. The resources available such as cameras, enlargers, film, lab equipment, and most importantly the expertise of the team have helped me grow as an artist.

- Ayuj