Semcon StoriesProduct Development
UX Designer Internship
Linnea Forss and Ida Lundqvist are studying UX design and did their six-month internship at Semcon in Gothenburg. Read their Semcon Story about what it’s like to try out working life at a technology consulting company and to work on a CSR project for the organisation Ung Cancer.
We are UX design students from Yrgo and we have done our internship in-house at Semcon Studios. Among other things, we got the chance to work on two CSR projects that make a difference for both people’s psychosocial health, and environmental and social sustainability. One of our customers is the organisation Ung Cancer, which is aimed at young adults living with cancer, either themselves or someone close to them. We performed a needs analysis to understand the target group of young adults living near cancer, a group the organisation has a difficult time reaching out to.
Value creation in the design project
It feels really great and important to get to cooperate with an organisation that actively works for people who need support. Through integration with the target group, we have been able to gain deeper insight into how our work can contribute to improving their situation. It is truly an honour to get to work on a project that is helping to make a difference!
To meet our customers’ wishes, we did research on different target groups to understand what the needs are, conducted user tests, and designed an interface for a website, and more. In both projects, we were able to control the layout of the design process ourselves, while also receiving support from our supervisors, which is a valuable asset for gaining new and useful insights.
Advantages of working at a consulting company
It is both instructive and enriching to be able to use what we have gained from our education and transform it into real working life. A vocational education is really an advantage. Because Semcon collaborated with Yrgo by conducting courses during the programme, we got an insight even before our internship into what it’s like to work at the company, which was what attracted us both to applying here. We saw the advantages of doing our internship in a consulting company to get the opportunity to try out different assignments and build up knowledge. We recognised that Semcon met many of the criteria, considering the extensive experience that exists in the consulting sector. Getting to work with clients, closely with other designers and professional roles during the internship, has given us greater insight into what it’s like to work as UX designers at an IT consulting company.
What do you hope to work with in the future?
Just now, Ida wants to continue as a consultant to try out different projects and further broaden her knowledge. She is incredibly excited about what the sector has to offer and is really looking forward to starting work!
“I enjoy what I’m doing now to broaden my skills. In the future at some point, I would really like to work on developing virtual learning environments or digital study materials since I have a background in teaching. I see a lot of opportunities in combining this experience with UX design in many different ways.”
Linnéa also sees herself working in the consulting sector to broaden her knowledge of both assignments and industries.
“During my time at Semcon, I’ve got to experience how one’s work really makes a difference and that’s what drives me forward. I hope in the future to get to work with projects in which my skills can help others, both small and large.”
