Hello fellow designers,
I am Lorik, a Computer Science undergraduate exploring the UX field.
While browsing job postings, I came across fully remote UX design internships and I would greatly appreciate hearing from those with experience in this area, whether as an intern or as an employer.
How effective are remote internships in practice, both for interns in terms of learning, and for employers in terms of value? While I understand that on-site roles are often preferred, I’m curious to know how remote internships compare when it comes to growth and contribution.
In my local market, the UX discipline is still emerging and it is sometimes mistaken for UI or graphic design. Because of this, opportunities for growth are limited, so I am considering whether remote internships might provide better development than local options.
Ultimately, I am seeking guidance on whether beginning my UX career remotely or in person would be the wiser path. Your insights would mean a great deal.
Thank you in advance for sharing your perspective.
First UX Internship: Remote or In-Person? Looking for Advice
Remote UX internships can be great for learning digital collaboration, exposure to global teams, and building a portfolio early on. They often rely on initiative and clear communication since mentorship happens mostly online.
Thank you for taking the time to reply. I truly appreciate it.
Unfortunately, I didn’t pass the technical task and was rejected. According to the feedback, my problem-solving and design thinking were strong, but my Figma design skills needed improvement.
The task involved writing a mini case study to showcase my design thinking process, along with using Figma to visualize it. While I was confident in the problem-solving part, I lacked proficiency in Figma, especially in areas like responsiveness, auto-layout, and prototyping, which turned out to be the deciding factor.
I’m now looking for reputable courses on Figma and UI/UX fundamentals. If you have any recommendations, I would really value your advice.
Thank you again for taking the time to read this.
Hello Lorik, well from my experience, remote UX internships can actually be quite effective if you’re proactive about communication and feedback. The main downside is that you miss out on the in-person “design culture”, things like spontaneous brainstorming sessions, quick feedback loops, or just observing how senior designers collaborate day to day. That said, the upside is pretty strong: you often get to learn different design processes and standards, and gain exposure to diverse user perspectives. Remote roles also tend to build your self-management and communication skills, which are super valuable in UX.
If you’re curious about how these pros and cons compare more broadly, refer to this article on remote internships pros and cons - read here.
If you are still looking for an internship, these are the resources that helped me:
DesignLab - they sometimes partner with companies for mentor-based projects
We Work Remotely - Has remote opportunities from start ups if you’re open to international startups.
Hello Pugsy98, thank you for taking time to help out and I apologize that I didn’t get back at you earlier. Thank you for sharing insight of your experience on remote internships, at the moment I haven’t applied to any internships other than what I’ve mentioned as I’ve been trying to improve my skills before the next application, though of course I’ve been searching of open roles and will eventually give it a shot.
I’ve checked the resources you shared and seem to be very helpful. I just bookmarked them at my favourite’s tab! 😄
That’s a really thoughtful question. Starting out in UX with a remote internship could be great for learning how to communicate well, manage your own time, and work with different teams. But doing it in person might give you more chances for quick feedback, mentorship, and soaking in the design culture.Figma even mentioned how their remote interns got a good onboarding and worked on real projects, which is cool.It kind of reminds me of how I think about rides with MetroWest Car Service sometimes you want the straightforward, no-fuss option that just gets the job done, but other times having that in-person connection makes all the difference. So what do you think is more important for you right now: building strong skills or growing your network?
Thank you, and also for taking time to reply! 🙂 I also think that in-person and remote internships have their pros and cons so I fully agree with what you said.
To answer your question about skill strengthening, I’m focusing on building UI skills through Figma’s courses.
When it comes to UX, I am still trying to understand what the best learning path is. Since opportunities here are limited, I am actively looking for UX remote internships, even if they’re volunteer aswell.
Also, I do agree with you that in-person experience is better, so if the right chance comes up, I am willing to relocate.
As for networking, I am trying to meet more people through LinkedIn, and I would genuinely be happy to stay in touch with you as well 😁
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