Trust and action

“We can create our own solutions and gather feedback from everyone at DP. It is so meaningful and exciting when you get to see the solutions you create in action.”

As I was searching for internships, something I was genuinely interested in was working in a field that combines art and science. I came across Design Prodigy’s internship position and it seemed like the perfect fit since DP focusses on a combination of human psychology, data and technology. From the interview onwards, it was easy to tell that DP was unique and the experience here has been a life changing one. (I know that sounds extreme but hear me out.)

Changing the mindset.

On the first day, we were told to not have the mindset “oh, I am just an intern”. We were also told before joining DP that we are given the freedom to solve problems with any kind of solution and DP truly lived up to that. This hit me when I was given the opportunity to present to key clients and I realised the trust and freedom interns at DP experience. Interns are given full freedom and it is extremely different from the usual internship experience.

We were given projects to work on and having full control over it creates a really great learning experience. We can create our own solutions and gather feedback from everyone at DP. It is so meaningful and exciting when you get to see the solutions you create in action. But it often takes multiple iterations to get to the final solution.

It was definitely tough especially when we were still trying to adapt and learn about marketing from our initial engineering background. But this iterative process is what allowed me to grow and learn. The full-timers and Marc are also always just a google meet away and there was so much to learn from their guidance. The people at DP are extremely helpful, always willing to have a quick call when we are stuck on something. There is so much to learn from everyone at DP.

Diving in.

This internship has provided me with an all-rounded learning experience, and the culture at DP is truly my biggest takeaway. The environment is fast-paced and it teaches you to become an independent learner and to learn at an accelerated pace. In the short span of time, we picked up on so many skills like Marketo, Google Analytics, WordPress, talking to clients and the list goes on.

I came to the realization that we often try to learn something in detail before using it but in reality, we actually can just jump and learn what you need for the task. This fast-paced learning environment allows DP interns to experience the “jump” and this culture brings about constant growth. It motivated me to constantly improve myself and the work I do.

Human touch.

Lastly, I learned to tap on my most valuable skill as a human which is to be able to empathise with humans and understand their needs. Technology and tools are easy to learn and that is not the crucial part of a project. We need to think actively instead of blindly letting technology lead our decision-making. The understanding of this has opened my eyes to a lot of things.

At the start I mentioned this internship was life changing and that is because this 6-month internship has brought me so much growth and my perspective on life has been influenced by the culture at DP. I have become a more motivated and confident individual and I have learned to create time for the important things to grow and improve. Not to mention all the skills I have learned and the valuable insights from the humans at DP. If you are ready to push yourself, this internship is definitely something you should take on.

Thank you to everyone at DP! I am extremely grateful for the opportunity to intern at DP.