Product Design Intern - Summer 2023

WillowTree is an award-winning digital product agency driven by innovation and grounded in strategy and user-centered design. We create long-term partnerships with the world’s leading brands to design and build digital flagship products crucial to their core business. We are one of the largest independent digital firms in the US and some of our clients include HBO, National Geographic, Anheuser-Busch, and PepsiCo.

Our summer internship program gives current students the opportunity to immerse themselves in a fun and collaborative environment where they will have the chance to make an impact by contributing ideas and adding a fresh perspective to real client projects.

To ensure that you are advancing in your craft, in addition to the client work, there will be plenty of opportunities to spend time with team members in your discipline to discuss the latest trends in design, all while having a 1-on-1 mentor relationship with an experienced Product Designer. As an intern, you will be part of a cross-discipline intern cohort where you will have additional opportunities to form long standing friendships and mentorship relationships.

We understand our responsibility to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive place within the tech industry, while pushing to make our industry more representative. Because of this responsibility, we need candidates who value diversity and inclusion through their work, team collaboration, or involvement in student organizations. 

*This is a hybrid position. This role is open in three locations: Charlottesville, VA, Columbus, OH, and Durham, NC.

• You’ll contribute to our clients achieving their outcomes and business goals through forward-thinking design
• You’ll successfully advocate for effective design practices, design sprints, and best practices with our clients and teams
• You’ll contribute to product experiences from ideation to execution for clients across various industries.
• You’ll contribute to pushing our team’s creative, visual, and interactive design capabilities
• You’ll get hands-on experience by working on real client work

• You have plans to graduate in Fall/Winter 2023 or later
• An online portfolio of mobile app or web design work
• Experience with design tools like Figma, Sketch, and Invision
• A strong conceptual thinker with a demonstrated ability to understand customer needs, user behaviors, and project requirements
• Solid written and oral communication skills and an ability to articulately explain design decisions
• Strong understanding of typography, layout and basic design principles
• Motion design experience
• You’re comfortable presenting your designs to teammates and clients
• A passion for current design trends coupled with a strong understanding of user experience

P.S. Even if you don’t have expertise in all of the qualifications listed, we value new perspectives and encourage you to apply. We’re committed to building a diverse company that reflects the diversity of our users. If you feel confident about a good amount of the bullet points above, we’ll ramp you up on the rest.

We offer a place to be yourself.

Our differences, both visible and invisible, benefit our teams, our communities, and the products we craft. That’s why WillowTree strives to build a team with diverse backgrounds, skills, and perspectives. You’ll work hard here; however, we’ll balance that with a culture that supports your growth and cares about your well-being. We’re committed to creating an environment of inclusion — a place where every Tree can thrive.

Our summer internship program is an opportunity for you to work on real client projects and make a real impact on our organization all while receiving one-on-one mentoring from our full-time team members. Not only that, but you’ll have weekly paid lunches, snacks galore, and plenty of chances to socialize with your fellow interns — including fun outings during work hours. We’ll have you with us full time (think 40 hours a week for 10 weeks) and yes, it is definitely paid. Not a bad gig, right? 

WillowTree celebrates our differences and provides equal employment opportunities to all team members and applicants without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. Diverse teams build better products. We acknowledge that the tech industry especially lacks opportunity for those who are of non-traditional backgrounds and in underrepresented groups. In order to create the best products for everyone, we know that it's important for our team to reflect the diversity of our users, and we are committed to being the change we want to see.