UX Design Internships: A Guide

Key takeaways

A user experience (UX) design internship allows you to learn about UX design careers and gain real-world experience.

• As a UX intern, you’ll need to possess technical skills, such as familiarity with design tools, graphic design skills, and knowledge of usability design, to excel in your role.

• Working as a UX intern helps you gain experience in the field, learn more about the industry, and network with fellow UX professionals.

• You can prepare for a UX internship by building a portfolio that features visuals you’ve developed, a case study for each project, and your contact information.

Learn more about UX design internships, including necessary skills, benefits, and how to get one. If you’re ready to enhance your UX skills, consider enrolling in the Google UX Design Professional Certificate. You’ll have the chance to learn about UX research, apply foundational UX concepts, and create a portfolio. In as little as six months, you can earn a career credential to share with potential employers.

What is a UX design internship?

A user experience (UX) design internship is an opportunity for students or entry-level professionals to learn about user experience design careers and gain real-world experience. Typically, companies offer temporary positions in the summer or part-time during the school year, where the intern can earn school credit or hourly pay. These opportunities can lead to full-time positions. 

UX involves how using a product or service makes a consumer feel, and UX design refers to the process of making that experience meaningful. This process contains a variety of elements, including marketing, branding, design, functionality, and usability.

As a UX design intern, you'll work closely with professional UX designers for exposure to commonly used tools and techniques. You might provide design feedback or shadow a professional to learn how they use their design expertise on a daily basis.

Google UX design internship

Qualifications for a Google UX designer internship vary from role to role. You can browse internship openings using Google Careers to identify areas of focus to study before you apply. You can also receive professional-level training from Google by enrolling to earn the Google UX Design Professional Certificate.

How to get a UX design internship

To qualify for an internship in the design field, it helps to have UX or visual design skills and some level of formal training or education. Prior experience may also help you land a UX design internship, whether that's through an academic program, online courses, or projects you've done for your UX design portfolio.

Skills needed for UX design internship

UX design interns benefit from two categories of skills: technical skills, which help you perform work tasks, and workplace skills, which help you interact with others on the job. Internships often include on-the-job training, but you may need to possess basic skills to stand out as a candidate.

Technical skills:

• Familiarity with design tools like Photoshop and Illustrator

• Basic understanding of design concepts and methodologies, such as information architecture and user-centric design

• Research skills

• Graphic design skills

• Knowledge of usability design

Workplace skills:

• Problem-solving skills

• Ability to work independently and collaboratively

• Attention to detail

• Creativity and an eye for design

• Design thinking

• Verbal and written communication

Need to build foundational UX design skills, but you're not yet ready to make a financial commitment? The Georgia Institute of Technology offers an introductory course on Coursera, Introduction to User Experience Design.

Education

Employers often hire students pursuing a bachelor’s degree for UX design internships. However, in some cases, companies may be more interested in UX-related experience and projects rather than education. Boot camps and UX design courses are examples of ways to gain experience to aid your pursuit of an internship.

Consider pursuing a degree in a field like:

• Computer science

• Design computing

• Digital media design

• Graphic design

• Human interface technology

• Interactive media

Read more: 11 UX Certifications and Boot Camps for All Skill Levels

Experience

Although prior work experience isn’t always necessary, it can still make you a more attractive candidate for a UX design internship. Since UX design requires a substantial amount of research and planning, it’s important to have a basic understanding of research methods so that hiring managers understand your methodology for gathering data. Employers may take a second look at your application if you have any experience in:

• User research

• Coding

• Graphic design

• Marketing

3 benefits of pursuing a UX design internship

Here’s how an internship can make a good first step to becoming a UX designer: 

1. Gain experience in the field.

Working as a UX design intern provides you with practical, hands-on experience you may not get in a classroom. It’s also an opportunity to develop skills for your resume, which can make you a more marketable candidate for future jobs. You may even get a job offer from the company you intern for. 

2. Learn more about the industry.

Working as a UX design intern allows you to learn more about the design industry. It’s also a chance to see where you might want to go with your future career.

3. Have an opportunity to network.

A UX design internship may expose you to a variety of professionals in the field. Not only can these people be a great source of knowledge and information, but they also make valuable contacts for future employment. 

Tips for finding a UX design internship

It helps to strategize when looking for any position. Use these tips for finding your UX design internship:

Consider where you want to intern.

Decide whether you want to work for a design studio or a company that sells products or services. If a business has a design team, explore their work on the company website to get a better understanding of the people you'll work with. 

Other considerations you might have include:

• If a stipend is offered for interns

• Whether the company has a practice of hiring interns for full-time positions

• Whether the company specializes in a particular facet of UX design that interests you, such as information architecture, prototypes, or user research

Use available resources.

A number of resources can be useful in an internship search. Try these ideas:

• Check with the career services center at your college or university.

• Go to career fairs.

• Connect with fellow students or professors at your college or university.

• Get internship information through online communities.

• Follow UX designers on social media.

• Make your professional social media page accessible to human resources (HR) managers and recruiters.

Create a portfolio.

Your UX design portfolio gives hiring managers an example of your work and an idea of your skill level. Be sure to include the following elements:

• Visuals for a few projects

• A case study for each project that includes details about your design process, any problems you had, the solutions you formulated, and what you learned 

• Contact information and an “About Me” section

Be ready for a design challenge.

When choosing an intern, companies may ask candidates to participate in a design challenge that helps highlight their knowledge and skills. You may be asked to complete a whiteboard challenge in front of your interviewer, or you could receive a take-home challenge, which may take up to a few days to complete.

Examples might include:

• Designing an imaginary product or service

• Designing a process that improves a product or service

Interview tips for UX design internship

A UX design internship interview provides great practice for getting a future job. To help prepare for your internship interview, take advantage of these tips:

• Learn about the company by exploring its website, mission statement, and blog.

• Dress professionally.

• Bring your resume and portfolio, even if you've already provided them.

• Prepare one or two questions to ask at the end of the interview.

• Thank your interviewer before you leave, and follow up with an email expressing appreciation for the interview opportunity.

Access free UX design resources

Explore career paths, assess your skills, and find resume guidance while browsing our Career Resource Hub. You can also check out the following resources as you consider a career in UX design:

• Find your path: UX Career Paths: Explore Roles & Specializations

• Build your knowledge: User Experience (UX) Terms & Definitions 

• Explore in-demand skills: A High-Income Skill for Creatives: User Experience 

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