During my three-month internship at Dialexa, I had the privilege of working alongside a remarkable team comprising 7 developers, 2 product designers, and 2 data scientists. This diverse and talented group of professionals played a crucial role in shaping my skills and mindset.
To gain a deeper understanding of the company's culture and workflows, I engaged in over 40 one-on-one sessions with employees from various teams, including design, engineering, and leadership. These interactions provided invaluable insights into Dialexa's inner workings and the broader industry.
One of the highlights of my internship was the opportunity to work on two impactful projects. The first project was a collaborative intern initiative, where we developed a client-ready web app aimed at streamlining the organization of company volunteer events for corporate social responsibility. This project not only showcased Dialexa's commitment to fostering innovation but also allowed me to gain hands-on experience in cross-collaboration between designers and developers.
In the second project, I was assigned an external client that Dialexa collaborates with. Working closely with both the Dialexa team and the external client team, I assessed their mobile app and provided recommendations for enhancement. This experience taught me:
Throughout my internship, several key takeaways significantly contributed to my personal and professional growth:
⭐️ Collaboration with Developers: Learning to collaborate effectively with developers and understanding their perspectives was a cornerstone of my experience. Finding common ground allowed us to create cohesive and user-friendly products, emphasizing the importance of teamwork in product design.
⭐️ Working within Constraints: My internship taught me to thrive within constraints, such as tight timelines and limited resources. This challenge pushed me to think creatively and find innovative solutions to meet business objectives, a skill that will undoubtedly serve me well in my career.
⭐️ Design Principles: Embracing design principles like simplicity, consistency, and accessibility became second nature. These principles guided my decision-making processes, enabling me to craft intuitive and delightful user experiences that aligned with Dialexa's ethos.
⭐️ Expanding My Toolkit: My toolkit expanded significantly through the use of tools like Maze for user testing. This allowed me to gather valuable insights from user feedback and iterate designs effectively, reinforcing the importance of data-driven decisions in design.