Summer Designer - Master's Internship

Summer Experience Designer - 2026 Master's Internship

Applications for this position will be accepted until March 13, 2026; candidates should expect to hear back by the end of March regarding interviews.

All applicants must provide either: a URL to an interactive slideshow, a portfolio site, or a PDF attachment.

Summer Experience Design Intern

IA Collaborative is seeking a Summer Experience Designer to join our team during Summer 2026 for a 10-week immersive experience in the world of innovation, where you'll work on real client projects as a part of a multidisciplinary team.

As a Summer Experience Designer you will have the opportunity to:

• Collaborate with our researchers, data & technology strategists, product, and business strategists to translate research insights and business problems into tangible user experiences. This may include brainstorming concepts, sketching, wire framing and creating other systematic artifacts. You'll also assist in the crafting of client presentations.
• Participate in both exploratory and evaluative research where you will live design problems and uncover insights to solve them. This may include assisting with research and stimuli design, going into the field, and synthesizing observations.
• Develop prototypes of varying levels of functionality and fidelity for projects or validation research.
• Support IA Collaborative's overall business by exploring future possibilities for the organization, including new offerings and capabilities, thought leadership, and other business growth-oriented activities.

Required qualifications include:

• Currently within the first or second year in a Master's program with a concentration in Design, Human-Computer Interaction, Product Design, Design Engineering, or equivalent experience.
• Clear interest in design and user-centered design philosophy.
• Comfort working in cross-functional teams and working on ambiguous problems.
• Ability to work with teams to translate opportunities into defined user experiences and digital interfaces; adept at designing and prototyping digital interfaces and interactions.
• Possess the ability to think conceptually about products and services, constantly exploring new and differentiated ways to design for users.
• Experience using AI-powered tools to support the design process, in addition to a willingness to experiment with nascent tools.
• Possess strong presentation and storytelling abilities.
• Strong visual design skills: typography, layout, hierarchy, and pattern.
• Comfort working with and contributing to design systems.
• Understanding of core UX principles: heuristics, mental models, and choice architecture.
• Ability to work from our downtown headquarters in Chicago, 3 days per week for the duration of the internship.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Minimum one year of work experience where you've conducted user research, participated in stakeholder interviews, created journey maps, ideated concepts, and designed solutions through concept sketches, user flows, information architecture, and dev-ready design artifacts.
• Experience communicating design intentions and problem-solving with engineering teams.
• Ability to travel consecutive days, if necessary.

In the application and/or as part of the hiring process, candidates are asked to submit work samples. These should be anonymized as needed to protect current employer and/or client confidentiality agreements.

We expect that the 2026 summer internship program will take place between ~6/8/26 - 8/14/26. Availability will be confirmed with candidates prior to finalizing program details and schedule.

About the Experience Design Team

Experience designers at IA Collaborative create experiences for people through their engagement with products, services, and platforms. Employing our user-driven design approach, we translate insights and strategy into tangible experiences that meet business objectives and delight users. As digital innovators, we thrive on an iterative design process and explore emerging platforms and novel applications; as digital leaders, we guide organizations through transformation.

Our team thrives in a fast-paced, challenging, multidisciplinary, and highly collaborative environment. We welcome new tools and processes, diverse perspectives and backgrounds, and challenges that demand unconventional thinking to push the boundaries of our discipline.

Why IA Collaborative

At IA, you'll practice your craft in a whole new context. You'll be a part of designing the future of human experience as you transform your client's business, empower communities and create a positive and lasting impact on the world.

Our internationally recognized workspace provides the inspiration and flexibility to collaborate with teams or to focus as an individual.

IA Collaborative Work Model:

IA Collaborative operates under a hybrid work model. Team members are generally expected to work from the IA Collaborative office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Monday and Friday, subject to…