A couple of first timers venture out in the design world
Sophomores from Department of Design, IIT Guwahati, India and their intern stories
Every year summer brings with it’s a wave of internships and opportunities to venture out of our green and blue campus. This year being no different, the sophomores went to intern across various fields that captured their fancy.
The work samples of most are enclosed within Non-Disclosure Agreement, but the memories and stories aren’t. Scroll down for a few of amazing intern stories, in their own words.
Stories Compiled by Chhavi Shrivastava
Dhruv Kohli, Srujana Innovation Center, Hyderabad
After a blur of a journey that lasted for 20 hours and including being stranded at airports, I clearly remember entering into the Srujana Innovation center at LVPEI (LV Prasad Eye Hospital), Hyderabad, as a LVPEI-MITRA Fellow.
Anxious and excited, I had the opportunity to work a varied set of projects, that included JULIA: a paper based refractometer , designing a set of brand identities and user experience for a few products. I was also part of the workshop Engineering the Eye wherein I got to learn and be part of a multi-disciplinary global team.
The studio was filled with friendly people and encouraged all ideas, be it project related or weekend plans. Hyderabad as a city has many splendid destinations such as Charminar, Nizam Palace, Salar Jung Museum, and many more. My favourite memory was spending a day in rains near the Husain Sagar Lake and gorging on the delicious famous Hyderabadi chicken biryani and haleem. I cherish and miss the work, people and the air of the city, it was indeed a Shahi land!
Shubhank Pawar, WH Tech, Hyderabad
I interned at the WH Tech which is a Hyderabad based startup working on wearable technology , whose focus is on mobile gaming through gestures. I had to co-ordinate with hardware , software and design departments and come up with ideas. From design patents to product mockups to UI/UX design , I got to taste it all and I am pretty sure I will assist them with whatever I will learn in upcoming courses. It was pretty amazing how a small piece of wearable tech could make a crane dig through the ground through gestures (in v5.0 hopefully) .
P.S The product is in prototype stage
P.P.S We are getting closer to Magneto’ s power!
Chhavi Shrivastava, Fractal Ink Design Studio, Mumbai
When you think of a design studio, you think of some ultra cool people performing magic using Photoshop, massive bean bags, sticky notes in all shapes, and white boards with cool music in the background. Or something like that. When I walked in the studio, I found this and so much more!
I was a part of team who was involved in the UX redesign of a global insurance firm. Over the time I spent there, I got an opportunity to learn from wonderful mentors and co-workers. I now can claim to have better hold on my design as well as management skills.
Sharing food and free font resources over countless teas, lounging on bean bags and blogging while the Mumbai rains dribbled across the windows in all it’s glory, spending summers learning and growing couldn’t have been better. A throwback video to the internship and all the wonderful wonderful people I met there! :)
Akhil Patel, Robert Bosch UX Studio, Bangalore
As a first timer in the industry, I had no idea what to expect. From the overwhelming experience of being in a new city with new people (whom I loved by the way), my cozy office chair, superb view of intense Bangalore traffic from the window and countless cups of coffee to the intimidating work and deadlines, I was offered a hell lot of things, all at once.
I got to experience the difference in work cultures when it comes to big corporates and startups. Majorly from this intern I learned that first, it is too early to decide and stick to one thing so early in the design career, and second, I got to know what I DON’T want to do in life!
More than work, I noticed, I learned more in my leisure time interacting with the people around me. Initially hustled to settle in, but then all’s well that ends well right?
PS: And yeah, one more thing, they had awesome free food at the office!
