One of the most valuable things I learned while interning at BBG is how to make design usable and functional. In design school we all learn how to make things pretty, but there’s a big disconnect between what you learn in school and how you use that in the real world.
At BBG, we approached every project with the mentality “we know we can make this look awesome no matter what, how do we make the user experience awesome”. Now on every project I work on I keep that thought in mind in every decision I make. A cool looking site is useless if you don’t have information or don’t know how to use it.
The team at Bright Bright Great acknowledges that this is something schools tend to skim over and goes out of their way to help the interns come up with the right solution and be a part of the process. While working at BBG I worked on websites, apps, and print material and got hands on experience on applying usability to all outputs.
I was able to compare and contrast what systems work in what circumstances. All the interns were given the opportunity to work closely with the team throughout the whole process. Within one week, we were presenting to and working directly with the clients.
If there was ever down time, we were told to take a stab at art direction for a new project. Because BBG is a smaller firm, we really got hands-on experience in every step of the strategy, creative, and production process that I would have missed out on had I been interning at a company with separate departments.
Another plus was the studio space. Logan Square Design Building is full of really awesome, creative, talented people. It’s a very laid back, but everyone around you is working on really cool projects that will continue to inspire and motivate you. It definitely makes you feel like part of a community.
There are always different people coming in and working. Not only do you get a chance to make connections and meet people, but you also get to make some cool friends. And, you get to hang out with a dog everyday. That’s cool too. -Molly @mollybdesign
