My UX Design Internship Experience from Home
By: Bella Vierena
Tags: UX Design, Internships, Experience, UX, Internship Experience

My UX Design Internship Experience from Home

Early 2020, I joined Blibli — one of Indonesia’s leading e-commerce — as a UX Design Intern. It was an internship I was immensely looking forward to. So when the internship started, I was thrilled. Being a fast-paced technology based startup, Blibli is the perfect place for a UX newbie to learn how it is applied in the industry. Forget the ‘bring coffee and make copies’ internship. I was given responsibilities and opportunities to get involved in multiple projects, work with various people, and feel like I was really a part of the team. It was great and I love what I’m doing. Nothing could go wrong… Right?

March rolled in and I was not so right.

Credits: Giphy

The first case of COVID-19 was reported in Indonesia which subsequently led to a strict Work From Home policy by the government. Thus I was dragged back home for the remaining period of my internship. Fun.

Having an internship at home was not quite like what I expected. No scratch that, I didn’t know what to expect. But hey the pandemic is a new thing for everyone too. I crossed my fingers and hoped (and learned) for the best.

Fast forward to December 2020 and a few months remaining in my internship, many things have changed ever since day one. I have grown as a designer, and also as a person. Between learning the ins and outs of product design and adapting to working at home, here are some of the valuable things I learned:

1. Adapt to a remote design process

Since the luxury of meeting our teammates or users face-to-face is a little to none, going through the whole UX process can be a little tricky here. No making a beeline to stakeholders’ desks for quick sync ups, no brainstorming on post-it notes together with the team, no field research, no no. Everything seems like it’s going south . . . 😔

But don’t despair, my human! The human race has shown adaptability like no other and thanks to the innovations of today, we are equipped with various digital resources to help us thrive. One saying that I’ve held on really tightly to is “When there’s a will, there’s a way.” And there is always a way, even for a from-home UX process.

A little refresher but here is what the UX process looks like:

Credits: Jada Williams

I learned to adapt to being fully digital and maximizing what I have to go through the 5 processes. Processes like wireframing and prototyping might not look any different than our pre-covid days. But for other tasks, we have to do some adjusting with whatever we have.

Some tips I have for at home UX-ing are:

Research can be as simple as talking to the person next to you. If it isn’t possible to conduct a research with our exact user due to the pandemic, we can try validating our assumptions or testing our design to the person closest to us who has a similar mental model with our user. For example, say our users belong to an older demography with low technology exposure, we can ask our parents or even a household assistant (asisten rumah tangga) on what they think about a particular matter.

If it isn’t possible to conduct a research with our exact user due to the pandemic, we can try validating our assumptions or testing our design to the person closest to us who has a similar mental model with our user. For example, say our users belong to an older demography with low technology exposure, we can ask our parents or even a household assistant (asisten rumah tangga) on what they think about a particular matter. Maximize online collaboration tools. There are tons of online tools for remote collaboration and brainstorming (E.g. Miro, Google Workspace, Zoom, Trello, Slack, etc.). We can also hold virtual workshops like a design sprint when required. During my internship period, I was honoured to be able to attend ideation workshops and even facilitate a virtual design sprint of my own. Keep in mind that a tool is not a one-size-fits all kind of thing so make sure to trial and error to see what works for you and your team.

There are tons of online tools for remote collaboration and brainstorming (E.g. Miro, Google Workspace, Zoom, Trello, Slack, etc.). We can also hold virtual workshops like a design sprint when required. During my internship period, I was honoured to be able to attend ideation workshops and even facilitate a virtual design sprint of my own. Keep in mind that a tool is not a one-size-fits all kind of thing so make sure to trial and error to see what works for you and your team. Ask for help. A good UX designer is not necessarily someone who can come up with the most creative and unique design, but a good UX designer is someone who can get the right insight to craft the right solution for the users. That includes asking for, listening to, and using feedback effectively. Don’t let social distancing discourage us from being social and asking questions. Speak up during meetings, ask around for inputs on our design, and reach out for help. We don’t have to figure everything out on our own. As the wise woman (Helen Keller) once said, “Alone we can do so little; together we can do so much.”

2. Communicate early and often

Coming up with the design is one part of the job, another part of it is effectively communicating our designs to the stakeholders, be it PM, tech, or business users. Effective communication helps them better understand why they should get on board with the design and how it will benefit the product. That is why it is also important for us to know the reason for every design decision we make. So when someone asks us “hey, why did you design it that way?”, we won’t stop dead in our tracks. Instead, we can explain your reasonings with confidence which in turn will increase the team’s trust in the design.

Bear in mind that we might physically be in isolation, but we are not a lone ranger in the team. Communication can happen as early on as we want. When we make an effort to understand the goal, find out the limitations and constraints, and ask for input from the onset of the project, it will help reduce the amount of iterations we have to do. On top of that, it will help foster teamwork and build ownership from the whole team.

As we are working with various stakeholders online, it is also crucial to communicate more than the norm. Make sure to enquire about the details, be specific in discussions, and crosscheck on each other’s understanding to ensure a successful design handoff. Don’t assume that our conversation partner understood exactly what we meant. Things might get lost in translation online. Hence, it is important to make sure we’re on the same page with the others.

💡 Tip: Use languages and structures that are familiar to your stakeholders. Don’t dive too much in the technicalities of design or use design lingos they might not understand.

3. Keep on learning

As an intern, our main task is to learn as much as we can. So don’t let the pandemic take away our chance to explore and expand our knowledge. Be curious, don’t hesitate to learn and take on new challenges, ask around our co-workers for inputs, insights, stories, anything. The people in Blibli are also very open to teaching new things to us, for as long as we’re willing to learn.

Since everyone is at home also, the pandemic has seen an influx of webinars and online conferences, which also is a great place to learn and network. The internet is also filled with resources, readings (Nielsen Norman Group is a holy grail, Medium also has a lot of insightful articles), podcasts (I would recommend Design Details), online courses and et cetera. The possibilities of learning are endless. So always keep an eye out on learning opportunities.

Also, we should not confine ourselves solely to our job roles. The extent of our experience will help us on the long run. It’s equally important to grow as a UX designer as it is to learn about research, business, technology, psychology, and anything that might relate to the job.

4. Work From Home 101

Going through 2020 where there was a lot of uncertainty and anxiety going around definitely hit all of us differently, and makes this year extra special. I learned to not only focus on my career and academic growth, but also to take care of myself in these trying times. Now that companies have found the merits of working from home, the culture doesn’t seem like it’s going to go away any time soon. Some essential work from home points that I would like to share are:

Set up a dedicated workspace and maintain a schedule. A proper workspace will help you feel more productive and reduce the likelihood of physical pains such as a strained back. It’s also very easy to mess up your schedule when we are cooped up at home. Sticking to your regular work schedule will help you stay motivated and give you a sense of normality.

A proper workspace will help you feel more productive and reduce the likelihood of physical pains such as a strained back. It’s also very easy to mess up your schedule when we are cooped up at home. Sticking to your regular work schedule will help you stay motivated and give you a sense of normality. Set a clear line between work and personal life . Don’t let those lines blur, set boundaries and it will help us maintain the balance in our lives.

. Don’t let those lines blur, set boundaries and it will help us maintain the balance in our lives. Take a break . It might be tempting to flat out work but it will eventually wear us out. Breaks can take in many forms. Look out the window, do little stretches, grab a snack, anything to briefly recuperate our mind and body.

. It might be tempting to flat out work but it will eventually wear us out. Breaks can take in many forms. Look out the window, do little stretches, grab a snack, anything to briefly recuperate our mind and body. Pay attention to your mental health. It’s okay not to be okay and to prioritize yourself when you need to. Remember to keep everything in moderation, including moderation.

Lastly… Have fun! Don’t forget to enjoy the learning process as you go and just keep swimming 🌊🐟