Our Experience as UX Interns
Written by Rachel Han Rodney & Abby Egnatz
Through a collaboration between SAS and the School of Information and Library Science (SILS) at UNC-Chapel Hill, we (Abby Egnatz and Rachel Rodney) participated in a field experience as user experience (UX) interns during Spring 2024. A field experience is like a part-time internship that takes place over a single academic semester. In contrast to a typical internship, the field experience is driven by specific learning objectives, while also providing hands-on UX experience. We set our learning objectives before the semester began, and SAS adapted the learning experience to our goals and interests.
A Little Bit About Us
Abby: “I am a junior at UNC Chapel Hill double majoring in information science and psychology with a minor in data science. When I stumbled upon the world of UX/UI, I was both surprised and thrilled by how well it aligned with my empathetic and efficient mindset. I was eager to apply my learning in a real-world setting. My goals for this experience were to further develop my collaboration skills within a multidisciplinary team, gain proficiency in data interpretation and the extraction of meaningful insights and themes, and learn more about what it means to be a UX researcher in an industry setting.”
Rachel:“I am a PhD student in SILS interested in exploring how UX practice differs between academic and industrial settings. My first exposure to UX was at the University of Washington within the Human Centered Design & Engineering department, where I learned how my interest in designing inclusive experiences could come to life through user research and co-design. In participating in the SAS Field Experience, my goals were to improve my professional and personal growth, integrate my academic knowledge with customer-facing products, and compare how UX is practiced in industry versus academia.”
We spent our field experience evaluating the usability and accessibility of Data Viewer, a platform within SAS Visual Analytics where users can gain an overview of data sets.
Designing and Conducting Usability Tests
The primary project we worked on this semester was a comprehensive usability study of the Data Viewer. We designed and tested multiple evaluation methods with pilot participants, refined the study for usability testing with end users, and analyzed the tests with qualitative coding. At the end of the semester, we presented our findings to product stakeholders.
Our biggest takeaways from usability testing:
Abby: “I realized how the real-world application of UX design is quite different from classroom theory. In the classroom, projects are individual endeavors to test understanding. In contrast, my role at SAS demanded constant communication and collaboration, making every design change a team effort. Conducting usability tests showed me the importance of precise communication and embracing times of silence. I also learned to appreciate the various expectations users had and how to prioritize each aspect for product improvement, especially being on strict timelines.”
Rachel:“Industry moves so much quicker than academia does! I loved the fast pace of the UX research we did — with three people working on conducting studies, we were able to test out three different study designs to see what worked best and go from there. We essentially designed the study, tested it with pilot participants, and finalized it in the first two weeks. This was cool because I was able to see how industry UX research can be conducted very efficiently, while still having due diligence of investigating experiences in depth and being able to collaborate in real time with other UX researchers.”
Evaluating Accessibility
In addition to evaluating the usability of Data Viewer, we took a deep dive into the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and the role that UX practitioners can play in making designs accessible. After researching how WCAG standards could apply to Data Viewer, we met with accessibility experts who had evaluated the Data Viewer. The accessibility experts shared the violations with us, referencing the specific standards
violated and the scope of the issues. The experts demonstrated the issues and answered our questions. After synthesizing the accessibility violations, we presented the findings in our project’s scope to the product area team and suggested appropriate changes and next steps.
Our biggest takeaways from the accessibility evaluation:
Abby:“This process not only enhanced the Data Viewer’s usability, but also showed me the importance of designing with inclusivity from the beginning. Identifying and addressing an accessibility issue led to the creation of a better product for all users. This experience embodied the ubiquitous adage: “accessible design is good design.”
Rachel:“I have been interested in digital accessibility for years, but this was the first time I was able to gain practical UX design experience with applying WCAG standards! This project is something I will continue to reflect on and apply in future UX work.”
Final Thoughts
Abby:“The most inspiring aspect of my internship was the mentorship and conversations with professionals. Specifically, one conversation transformed my initial intimidation into confidence, encouraging me to leverage my ‘lack of knowledge’ as a tool for curiosity and growth. This advice reshaped my approach, not only in my internship, but in class, clubs, and even conversations with friends. It allowed me to be confident and curious when approaching new ideas, topics, or experiences. I am now even more excited to continue my path of UX research in the professional world.”
Rachel:“Two huge takeaways came from my experience: (1) how absolutely crucial community is, and (2) how exciting emerging technology is and can be explored by said community. It has been a great honor to work with professionals at SAS and gain mentors whose passion about UX and usability further inspire my own. Another takeaway is that even though acompany is big, anybody and everybody can make a difference in it. As applications for GenAI are further explored across tech, it was cool to see what training options SAS provided to learn more about leveraging AI in everyday work, and the conversations we were able to have about the limitations and long-term implications of AI in UX.
