During my internship with the City Tech OpenLab, I have begun working on a collaborative project with three other interns as part of the Communication Design team. The main focus of this project is to evaluate the OpenLab platform and identify areas that could be improved, especially in terms of user experience and interface design. Although we initially started working individually, our work is part of a larger collaborative effort that will eventually come together into a unified design solution.
At this stage of the project, each intern is analyzing different aspects of the OpenLab site, such as navigation, layout, and usability. We are also creating wireframes, researching similar websites, and developing ideas for how the platform could be improved. These individual contributions are important because they allow each of us to explore different design approaches and generate a variety of ideas before combining them into a final concept.
Even though we are working on separate parts, communication is still a key part of the collaboration. We use Asana to share updates, track our progress, and stay organized as a team. On Asana, we post our work, including sketches, wireframes, and design ideas, so that others can review and provide feedback. This helps keep everyone informed and ensures that we are all moving in the same direction. We also use meetings and discussions to talk about our progress and share ideas.
One of the successful aspects of this collaboration is how we are able to support each other by sharing feedback and ideas. Even though we are working independently at the moment, we are still learning from each other’s approaches and perspectives. This has helped me see different ways to solve design problems and think more creatively about user interface design.
However, one challenge is that we have not yet fully combined our ideas into one final design. Since we are still in the early stages of the project, most of the work has been done individually rather than as a fully integrated team effort. As the project continues, we will need to work more closely together to merge our ideas and create a cohesive design solution that reflects everyone’s contributions.
Overall, this collaborative project has helped me understand how teamwork functions in a design environment, even in a remote setting. It has shown me the importance of communication, organization, and sharing ideas when working toward a common goal. As we move forward and begin combining our work, I expect to gain even more experience in collaboration and teamwork within a professional design setting.