- Please provide a brief description of your STEP Signature Project. Write two or three sentences describing the main activities your STEP Signature Project entailed.
My STEP Signature Project was an internship in Columbus, Ohio with IBM iX. At IBM iX I was a motion design intern and assisted senior motion designers with their design projects while working for the client Tidy Cats.
- What about your understanding of yourself, your assumptions, or your view of the world changed/transformed while completing your STEP Signature Project? Write one or two paragraphs to describe the change or transformation that took place.
Through my internship with IBM iX this summer, I grew tremendously as a professional and designer. I was surrounded by extremely talented designers and also had the opportunity to work with clients and network with others within the company. I became much more confident in my abilities to communicate in a professional way as well as have the courage to ask questions. Throughout the summer I had the opportunity to learn Adobe Software as well as Figma and Trello. These will all be very useful in my professional career. I am leaving IBM iX with a better understanding of my abilities, more self-aware, and more confident.
- What events, interactions, relationships, or activities during your STEP Signature Project led to the change/transformation that you discussed in #2, and how did those affect you? Write three or four paragraphs describing the key aspects of your experiences completing your STEP Signature Project that led to this change/transformation.
During my time at IBM iX, I was mentored by Brooke Cardoza. Brooke was an incredible mentor to me and I learned so much from her. I was also able to shadow the rest of the Columbus team and meet with several individuals outside of my team to learn more about their positions. Brooke is a very talented designer and watching her work was amazing. She also gave me great direction with my design work and constantly encouraged me to learn more. She was very patient and I loved working with her.
Having the opportunity to meet with other individuals outside of my team was also a great experience. I had the ability to learn about other career paths that I had not heard of before and network with lots of professionals. This was one of the best parts of my internship. I felt that these connections and the information I learned from these people were incredibly useful and will continue to be in the future. I love the direction that it gave me and I am grateful for the time they spent with me.
This entire summer was a great experience. Getting to be a part of such a skilled team of designers was very eye-opening. The work that goes into their projects is so amazing and it taught me so much. I loved getting to shadow other people on their projects just to see how different each one can be. Hearing about their client interactions was also very helpful and prepared me for things in my career that may be similar.
- Why is this change/transformation significant or valuable for your life? Write one or two paragraphs discussing why this change or development matters and/or relates to your academic, personal, and/or professional goals and plans.
As I am entering my senior year of college, I am preparing to search for a full-time career. This internship helped guide me in the right direction and also set me up for great success. I want to be as prepared as I can be going into this change and IBM iX helped me do that. I feel much more confident in my abilities as an individual as well as my path in life. Having the connections that I made while at IBM iX will also be very useful as I venture into my career. I am leaving IBM iX as a better designer, person, professional, and team member.
