About SmartNews
Founded in Tokyo in 2012, SmartNews has quickly become the go-to source of news for millions of users around the world, and a leading news discovery mobile app in Japan and the US. Our mission is bigger than simply aggregating news, and we are working to break through the filter bubble and deliver the world’s quality information to the people who need it.
We are looking for a Product Design Intern to join our team this summer! As a Product Design Intern at SmartNews, you’ll work closely with fellow product designers and collaborate closely with product, engineering, and data science teams across Japan and the US. You’ll contribute to the end-to-end product development process from brainstorming ideas for our next generation experience to tracking success post-launch.
You will also have the opportunity for your work to be seen by millions of users around the world. SmartNews has won numerous awards, has been downloaded by millions of people, and is the #1 News app in Japan. Join us and make a difference!
As a Product Design Intern, you will:
- Work closely with your mentor and product design leadership to define the details of your features and contribute to the overall direction of your product area
- Design flows, prototypes, sketches, and high-fidelity visuals for your features
- Collaborate with engineering, data science, and product management to ensure a high-quality implementation and ship a polished user experience
- Solicit and incorporate feedback on your work from your mentor, other product designers, and multi-functional team members
Requirements
Ideally, you are:
- Graduating December 2021 or Spring of 2022
- Working towards an undergraduate or Master's degree in the area of User Experience, Human Factors, Human Computer Interaction, or related field with a focus on UX, Interaction Design, or User Research
- Familiar with the UX design process. You are able to partner with your Product Team, Engineers and Product Managers to define, ideate, and iterate design solutions.
- Able to demonstrate strong traditional design skills; you know the basics of how to use typography, layout, negative space, color, etc. in order to communicate clearly and concisely
- Able to explain the rationale behind your designs
- Fluent with design tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD or Adobe Adobe CS
- Able to prototype your ideas with paper, clicks, or code using tools like Figma, Flinto, Principle, or Framer
- A natural collaborator and can work independently and in a team environment
- A curious person. you continually seek out additional knowledge and viewpoints
- A great communicator both verbal and written
You have:
- Experience designing both mobile and desktop products
- A strong portfolio, showcasing a foundation in interaction and visual design, typography, and idea generation. Able to demonstrate your process and the end result or impact
- Experience with prototyping as a means to explore and convey design solutions
- Understanding of how a product works and how it matters to the business
- Dedication to learning from users and a deep understanding of basic user research methods and when to best use them
- Strong presentation and communication skills. Able to clearly present your work and rationale to a variety of teammates and partners
Nice to have:
- Basic understanding of HTML, CSS and JS/JQuery
- Mobile app design, analytic / infographic design, icon design
- Experience designing social products
- Experience with Design Systems, Style Guides, Pattern Libraries
Deadline:
March 1st, 2021
Application and Cover Letter Prompt
Please include a link to your portfolio (with password if needed) and a cover letter answering the prompt below. Applications without a portfolio and cover letter will not be considered.
Tell us about a project that you are most proud of where you solved a user problem. What was the process like? How did you come to the decisions that you made? Use 250 words as a guide for length, but keep in mind the most important goal is to help us understand your approach.
Our Summer Internships are:
• Paid ($30/hr)
• 8 weeks long, starting on or around June 1, 2021
• Interns work 35 hours per week