Learning On The Job: An Intern’s Experience with Phoenix

MAZ
MAZ
Jul 27, 2017 · 3 min read

Interning creates the peculiar sensation of feeling as though you are an adult but also a confused child. You are above the age of 18 and you are going to a professional workplace at least 3 times a week. However, most interns have little to no experience in the field they are working in, for some this creates nervousness and pressure. You want to prove yourself but you only have a short period of time; how will you learn and master all that is needed?

When I began my internship at MAZ, though I was excited, I also wanted to show that I knew what I was doing. However, I had never designed an app or used Phoenix to do so. I use apps on a daily basis, but I’ve never needed to know what went into creating an app so others could use it, until now. There was a part of me that wondered if I would ever be able to fully learn the ins and outs of Phoenix during the two months I’d be interning.

There was little time to have a mini-existential crisis so I decided to just start messing with the product, hoping that eventually all the pieces would fit together. To my surprise after just a few short days, I knew what I was doing.

Here are a few elements that I initially felt unsure about:

Media Manager: When I first began using Phoenix I did not think that there would be an immediate use for media manager. I soon realized that it was one of the most useful tools on the platform. Creating articles, any type of written content, and saving images is extremely helpful. Especially when it comes to saving images, because it is the simplest way to an add an image that does not have a URL.

Example of the Media Manager UI

Previewing: It was difficult at times to be in the app creation process without directly seeing the screen I was working on. Using the Phoenix Viewer App allowed me to see a demo version of the app and easily view what I was creating.

The Phoenix Viewer App

By the second week I was creating an app called MAZ ED that would have tips and guides for publishers using the platform. By the third week I was helping out with both live and demo apps for the business development team. Phoenix was no longer intimidating, instead it showed me a side to app development that seemed approachable.

MAZ created Phoenix in order to help print publishers meet the rising expectations of their digital readers. With it came the idea of flexible layouts that were built for each screen, so publishers would no longer have to use stagnant PDF layouts in order to display their content. Though it may seem daunting to use, the beauty of the product is its ease.

Written by

MAZ

The Content Logistics Company. Learn how MAZ can solve your content logistics problem at http://mazsystems.com

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