How my summer design internship at Insider Inc. helped me answer the question “What can I do with my degree?”
Taryn Merari
This summer, I received the opportunity to complete a design internship at Insider Inc. The program gave me a closer look at the variety of design roles within the company, including user experience, animation, and graphics. Design is such a broad category that I’d consider it the umbrella of umbrellas, but after completing my internship, I have a much better understanding of career opportunities in the field. And as I head into my junior year at the School of Visual Arts, I have a clearer vision of what I can do with my design degree.
Before I started the internship, I expected my entire experience to be traditional graphic design. I had no idea how many different roles involve design work. My internship was a rotational program and I worked with three different teams for two weeks each.
I started my internship on the User Experience (UX) Design team. I did some research into the world of UX beforehand, but the work became much more clear when I joined the team. The UXD team controls the look and feel of Insider Inc.’s digital products. I was taught to navigate a program called Sketch, and by the end of my two weeks, I was able to offer input instead of just sitting quietly.
An animation I created for a story about world cuisines while on the Animations team.
Next I shadowed the Animation team. They create custom animated video content for our brands. I went in unfamiliar with Adobe After Effects and left with an entire video portfolio. From helping with animation requests to brainstorming intro ideas, each task challenged me to explore After Effects. The video portfolio I produced consisted of intros for different fake companies, a morph of a plane into a better model, and a rotoscoping ballerina’s dress that changes colors.
My final rotation was on the Graphics team. The Graphics team is in control of creating visuals and charts to help elevate a user’s experience on the website. During these two weeks, I was actually fulfilling graphic requests that came in, like a full-time employee. I created thumbnails, charts, Instagram posts, and even slideshow slides.
A graphic I created for an article about the leaders transforming healthcare.
A graphic I created for an article about the surprisingly modest car choices of the world's top tech billionaires.
Having the chance to explore potential career opportunities was a real privilege. The experience solidified that I love what I do and I am enjoying the direction I am going in. And being so welcomed by the Insider Inc. family made the experience even more fulfilling.
