Summarized Study
Full Study
Details
Position: UX Design Intern
Duration: 3 Months
Problem Statement
During my time as a UX Design Intern at Seamgen, a leading web and app development company, I was tasked with a strategic project aimed at expanding the company's client base. Seamgen was primarily targeting government and healthcare clients but lacked the necessary case studies to showcase their expertise in these sectors.
Recognizing the importance of compelling storytelling to attract new business, I spearheaded the creation of over seven in-depth case studies, highlighting Seamgen’s most impactful projects. Through a mix of detailed project descriptions, visual storytelling, and clear results, the newly developed case study pages enhanced Seamgen’s work portfolio. The result? A 48% increase in new user traffic to the company’s website. This surge in visibility marked a significant milestone in Seamgen’s effort to attract higher-value clients and better establish their expertise in new industries.
Finding Answers
The first step any seasoned designer takes is... RESEARCH! Well, that’s not entirely true—I was tempted to dive straight into high-fidelity designs in Figma. But seriously, the real work began with understanding what the website was missing in order to attract new business.
I sat down with the leads from both the UX and Marketing departments to gather their insights on what they could use help with. Their first suggestion was a pay raise, but that wasn’t something I could help with. Their second point, however, was crucial: the website lacked recent healthcare and government client work, which were key demographics for the company.
With this information in hand, I reviewed the company’s website from a fresh perspective. They were right—the most recent project featured was three years old. I also noticed the "Our Process" page, intended to guide potential clients through the company’s workflow, hadn’t been updated to reflect the latest techniques and processes.
Armed with a clearer understanding of the company’s goals, the gaps in their current website, and some initial ideas, I was ready to move forward.
Aiming for gold
I identified three key areas that needed attention:
1. Case Studies: I curated and showcased recent company projects to highlight our expertise and attract new business.
2. Brand Identity: I reorganized and refined the company’s brand to ensure consistent messaging and stronger market positioning.
3. Client Tool Pages: I developed pages to engage prospective clients, demonstrating our capabilities and reinforcing our credibility.
With clear goals and timelines, I set out to execute these initiatives.
Proving my youth
Now that my goals within the company were set, I faced the pressure of meeting high expectations. As a young designer, there was an anticipation for fresh, innovative designs that were not only creative but also feasible for the development team to implement. I needed to deliver these solutions quickly and efficiently, ensuring that the work was both timely and well-organized. Like "The Bear" says, fast and clean.
How did I handle these expectations? Initially, I didn’t. I tried to push through, leading to stress, mistakes, and missed deadlines. But I realized setbacks are part of the process.
Honest discussions with my higher-ups helped me understand what was working and what wasn’t. These conversations laid the foundation for growth, allowing me to recalibrate and find a more sustainable path. Communication, planning, and feedback became key to my progress.
Good projects, good company
For the case studies, I developed a streamlined process to ensure they were produced efficiently and effectively:
1. Information Gathering: I started by collecting all relevant details to gain a comprehensive understanding of each project.
2. Crafting the Introduction: I began each case study by introducing the project and outlining its primary goals.
3. Highlighting Partnership Value: I emphasized the importance of choosing a trusted partner to build products with care and efficiency.
4. Showcasing the Team: I shared insights about the team, highlighting what sets them apart from the competition.
5. Detailing the Approach: I explained the company’s approach to new projects and outlined what clients could expect when working with us.
6. Incorporating a Call to Action: Each case study concluded with a call to action, inviting readers to reach out and learn more about collaborating with our company.
7. Enhancing with Imagery: Throughout the text, I included relevant visuals to maintain reader engagement.
As the weeks passed, I became increasingly proficient at this process, ultimately releasing seven case studies. This effort not only enriched the website’s content but also led to a noticeable increase in traffic.
Try finding an icon
While working on the case studies, I frequently needed access to company icons and other graphic resources. However, the only available link led to a hidden Google Drive folder with poorly organized library, where I often found just a 16x16 pixel PNG of a company icon. This issue became a recurring obstacle, slowing down my work whenever I needed a specific graphic.
To solve this, I created a comprehensive brand library in Figma. This accessible library provided high-quality assets quickly, streamlining the process for future designers and developers. My goal was to create a scalable system that the company could build on over time.
Secret government files
The company was targeting government agency clients, and we were finalists for a government project. However, a smaller, specialized company won the contract. The CEO, frustrated by this, tasked me with creating a new website version to appeal specifically to government clients, emphasizing our status as an American 🇺🇸 government-affiliated company.
My task was to redesign the homepage to attract government agencies, a demographic I hadn’t targeted before.
I successfully transformed the homepage into a specialized platform for government web and app development while maintaining our company’s core identity.
AGILE
The company’s process page was outdated, showcasing a workflow that no longer reflected our current practices. To revitalize it, I conducted interviews with department leads to gain insights into their updated workflows. I then transformed this information into a clear, multi-step process that accurately represented how we operate today. Collaborating with the CEO and department leads, we developed a visual graphic that highlighted our efficiency and reliability. This new graphic was seamlessly integrated into a redesigned process page that effectively communicated our refined approach to clients.
Full time job?
At the conclusion of these projects, I walked away with a wealth of new knowledge—from mastering Jira tickets for optimal organization to learning how to collaborate efficiently across departments. So, you might wonder, did I receive a return offer at the end of the internship? Well, the answer is both yes and no. The company was fully transparent with me, explaining that they didn’t have the resources to bring me on as a full-time employee, but they valued my contributions and offered to extend my internship. They appreciated how well I fit within the company culture and how effectively I collaborated with the team.
However, due to my need for a full-time position, I had to decline the offer. We parted ways on excellent terms, both sides happy and satisfied with the experience. Ultimately, this journey helped me refine my skills, enabling me to work faster and cleaner.