Andrew Nguyen, a senior Experience Architecture major from Clawson, Michigan, worked as a User Experience (UX) Design Intern for United Wholesale Mortgage (UWM) this past summer. He shared his experience with this internship in the following Q&A originally published by the Excel Network.
What were your internship responsibilities?
I worked on redesigning an employee-facing program experience to improve the user experience of the program’s processes. Aside from designing in Figma, I attended multiple stakeholder meetings, conducted thorough user research, and updated my whole team on my progress every week.
How did you obtain your internship?
I heard about UWM’s IT internship program from a friend, but I didn’t know they had UX included as well. When it came to securing my internship, I utilized online resources, such as Glassdoor, to get a better idea of what the interview process would look like.
What did your daily routine include?
It wasn’t always the same just as how UX isn’t just pixel pushing. My daily routine ranged from refining design work at my desk to being completely booked with research sessions with users.
What was your favorite experience from the internship?
The UX team at UWM is incredibly mature. There are designated writers, researchers, designers, and even an accessibility team who all work together to create amazing products.
What skills did you learn and/or build upon during your internship?
My design skills increased so much during the internship. I learned so much about following consistent patterns and best UI (user interface) practices, as well as how to use Figma on a professional level when it comes to both designing and handing it off to developers.
What did you learn about the industry as a result of the internship?
A lot of the time, you have to fight for your decisions as a UX designer. Not everyone is going to immediately get why you would design something a certain way, especially if it’s not immediately do-able. It’s important to back your choices with research and data to help secure the stakeholder buy-in.
What are your future plans?
In terms of my future plans, I am back on the job hunt.
