Welcome to our Intern Spotlight series where we introduce the fresh faces at our company. Today, we’re excited to shine the light on Talia Coeshott, our newest UX Design Intern based out of San Francisco. Talia brings a unique perspective to the team, having journeyed into the world of UX Design through a non-traditional route. Armed with a Google UX Design certification, she embarked on this new career path after graduating college with a degree in another major.
- Where did you go to school and what did you study? Why did you choose that particular major?
I graduated from California State University, Long Beach with my B.A. in journalism. As someone who loves interacting with people and writing, I wanted to learn how to make a difference by sharing people’s stories.
- How did you transition into UX design from your original major? What inspired this change?
While pursuing my journalism degree, I found myself gravitating towards the design of websites, and my curiosity for understanding how things work started to grow. Though I still have a strong passion for journalism, I found my way to UX after discovering that it fulfilled what journalism lacked for me: problem-solving. Experience design gave me a creative outlet to not only learn about people but to give solutions to their problems by exploring ideas. Thankfully, not only do journalists and UX designers have a similar goal in that they want to make interactions as straightforward for people but I can apply a lot of my skills as a journalist to the design process like conducting unbiased interviews and gathering in-depth research for a project.
- Why did you decide to pursue a Google UX Design certification?
Exploring passion projects is one of my favorite ways to keep myself learning and developing new skills. I have always had curiosity regarding the design process of a mobile application and I had an idea about creating a daily shadow work prompt journal that I wanted to see through as one of my passion projects. Unaware of where to start, I ran to Google and searched a very broad, “How to create an app”. I came across UX design, a term that I did not have a complete understanding of. I researched the most impactful yet affordable programs and stumbled upon Google’s UX Design Certificate Program. I soon learned that I could pair this skill with my journalism skills to become a UX writer. However, by the end of the course, I had fallen in love with the entire design process and decided to proceed with a UX designer career track. The course gave me a proper understanding of the foundations of UX design and boosted me with the confidence to aim high in a UX career.
- Do you have any secret talents that you could share with us?
I love to sing! I sang in the school choir for two years in high school and although I don’t sing nearly as much as I used to, it is one of my first loves. One of my aspirations is to sing with a band for fun in my free time. I also love to write and discover poetry. I self-published a poetry book called, The Beehive in 2019.
- What is your dream job? How do you see this internship helping you to get there?
My dream job includes being a part of a team consisting of talented and ambitious people who focus on the well-being of others as well as their growth. I would like to be immersed in the full design process and work on projects that challenge me outside of my comfort zone. As a junior designer, I often have many questions and am constantly learning new things. I hope to one day become an experienced designer who can help designers navigate their own UX journey. Working with Key Medium as a UX Design/Research intern will give me real-world exposure to working with clients and collaborating with other designers on projects. Not only will this opportunity allow me to develop my technical design skills, but my soft skills as well such as communication and collaboration.
- What would you like to learn during your internship with us?
- Design skills
As a junior designer, I am constantly looking for ways to improve my current design skills. I am aiming to learn how to design efficiently so that my designs can work cohesively with other designers and developers.
- Collaboration skills
Collaboration is an important aspect of UX design because it involves working alongside other people in an effective way to reach a shared goal. I would like to explore the ideas of co-workers and clients as well as implement my ideas to create optimal experiences for users.
- Communication skills
For a successful product, designers must communicate to end-users through clear navigation for tasks. This requires that I focus on my communication skills when conducting interviews with users so that I can understand their needs, motivations, and goals.
I also will focus on my communication skills when collaborating with clients and other members of the team to ensure that goals are being met. This will create positive relationships that drive a successful product.
- Developing technology
As technology continues to accelerate, it is important to stay up-to-date on the latest technology and its trends to see how it can benefit designs and products. I want to use the latest technology as an advantage to enhance my designs and my knowledge.
- How was your onboarding experience?
The onboarding experience was simple yet provided me with greater insight into what Key Medium is all about. I learned about Key Medium’s core values: a passion for positive impact, excellence, innovation, sustainability, and ownership and determination.
- How has your first week’s experience been? Any highlights you would like to share?
The first week was fast-paced, but very informative. I learned how to use various platforms that I have not yet experienced, which gave me exposure to opportunities for better collaboration and communication. Throughout the week, I was able to create wireframes and prototypes as well as participate in workshops. The past week has shown me what areas of UX I need to focus on while giving me the tools that I need to improve.
We warmly welcome Talia Coeshott to Key Medium as our UX design intern. We encourage all our readers to cheer her on as she embarks on this exciting new chapter. Welcome, Talia, and may your journey with us be filled with growth and success!
