Internship @ Phoenix Design
Last year I worked as UX/UI Design intern at Phoenix Design, Shanghai. For me the past 6 months has been an interesting journey full of challenges, exploration and growth. Due to the NDA reasons I cannot directly present related works but I’m happy to share my experiences and learnings !
About Phoenix Design
PHOENIX is an international product innovation studio with over 30 years of history. Integrating design strategy, industrial design and UX/UI design, PHOENIX reimagines the future of home, well-being and smart living.
What did I do?
I participated in a diverse range of projects at PHOENIX – from design strategy to industrial design, from conceptual design challenge to client project.
The main project I took part in is to develop a new brand strategy for a Fortune-500 international home appliance brand (home AC products) . The client has been a leader in this category with its history, innovative technologies and product qualities. However, they still face many challenges in digital transformation, brand experience and service design.
In this project I collaborated with 2 design strategists and 3 designers (ID + UX) in studio Shanghai and Munich. I utilized my skills in trend research and service design to contextualize the trends in lifestyles and Chinese market, which helps the team members in Germany to understand the typical user journey of purchasing home AC product and find design opportunities across touch points. In the design phase, I also supported the team by visualizing service concept and product use scenarios.
🪀 Time for Yoyo!
The slides can be accessed here.
At the last week of my internship, I designed and made a yoyo as a farewell gift, which is a PHOENIX tradition for over 30 years :)
The concept of my yoyo is about celebrating togetherness – a yoyo that brings people together.
I utilize my skills in Arduino and physical prototyping to make an interactive installation that allows multiple people to play together – people need to move their arms up and down (like real yoyo!) to control the sensors and spin the different layers of the yoyo.
Take-aways
#1 Be a unique color 💫
When I just came here I actually feel a bit overwhelmed – as an intern I definitely learned a lot from these talented and experienced designers but how could I contribute to the team 🤯 ?
I gradually realized that I’m also a unique color in the team and I can bring my fresh insights & perspectives - as gen-Z, as media artist, as trend researcher… All these different identities shape my unique understandings of design.
#2 Design-being 🏄♀️
At PHOENIX, the term “design-being” is frequently mentioned – to always perceive the world as a designer and hold passions & curiosities for life, observing, hearing, thinking, and being… Design is never limited to the studio space and client works – all the hobbies, personalities and thoughts will come through in a subtle way.
#3 Rethinking well-being ❤️
After the internship I also have deeper understanding of the idea of “well-being” through design, both the physical well-being as well as the emotional needs of users.
Thinking of teamwork from the perspective of well-being - teamwork not only means collaborating efficiently, it is also about tackling ambiguity, empathy, support and caring!
All the amazing photos are from PHOENIX’s website, check it here 😍: