From Odessa to Brighton: My digital design internship at UnitedUs

My time at UnitedUs was like nothing I’d ever experienced. That might be an obvious thing to hear an intern say, but for me, this really was a brave new world.

I left my hometown of Odessa, Ukraine in August 2022. Fleeing my beloved country due to the war, I found my inner strength and started the next chapter of my life. And my first step into the creative industry was with the small but mighty Brighton branding agency.

UnitedUs saw a desire in me to pursue design, and they supported me to do just that. It became clear that the power of design can positively help others – to connect, to communicate and to achieve.

After a short commute through the South Downs from my new home in Lewes, I arrived at the UnitedUs studio. I stepped through the studio door into the possibility of what my new world of work, and creative life, could look like.

I knew things were going to be different

Each member of the team greeted me, and my supervisor Ryan showed me the ropes. Next, project manager Steph gave me a tour of the studio, the apartment upstairs and where the important emergency points are, such as the coffee machine… and of course, Jason pointed out the fire exits. Next I took my seat, getting acquainted with the MacBook UnitedUs had provided and set up accounts for the design software.

In my first week there was lots of coffees, but I wasn’t the one who was making them. Part of the procedure whenever someone new starts at UnitedUs is to go for a coffee with each and every member of the team. Out of the office, in any of Brighton’s abundance of cafes, this ritual enables people to get to know each other away from the desk. An opportunity to share experiences, worries or hear first-hand what life at UU is really like.

I spoke about my travels driving from Ukraine across Europe, from the roads in Hungary to the beautiful lakes in Italy. People at the agency really love food, we shared recipes and talked about great places to eat in the South Coast and London. But it wasn’t long until the work started, and I was ready to get into it.

After working in my family’s leather business for over seven years, I was accustomed to different job roles, from retail supervision and social media management, to designing the goods we sold. But design is the thing that really inspired my creativity. After undertaking a couple of design courses online, I was primed to put my learnings into practice at UnitedUs and get my first hands on experience as a UI/UX designer.

Putting my knowledge into practice

My foundation knowledge of UX/UI consisted of web design, typography, colour theory, wireframing, user research, design research, competitive analysis, and working in Adobe Creative Suite. I wanted to expand my skill set in these areas and also learn more about prototyping, and animation. I hoped that these areas would help me to create more dynamic and engaging experiences for users.

Being on the ground in an award-winning agency would also help me stay up-to-date with the latest trends and developments in the industry. The people at UnitedUs live and breathe brand.

I worked on four live client projects during my internship from a Brazilian Jiu Jitsu business, to a fabrics firm, as well as Friends of East Surrey Hospital and neurodiversity champion Neuro Directory.

Across these projects I carried out user research and competitor analysis, and I took a lead role in wireframing, creating layouts of web or mobile applications using Figma. In terms of visual design, I developed my design skills in typography, colour theory, and composition and worked on the application of SVG animations.

I was able to improve my design and conceptual thinking skills, learning how to think like a true designer and solve problems creatively while considering user needs and e-commerce requirements.

Collaboration is not a buzzword, it’s a mindset

Working with friendly people is great, but working collaboratively as a creative is crucial. The opportunity to learn and work with a team of inquisitive and inclusive professionals has inspired me to carry on working in this way, so I can create user-centred designs that solve real problems for users.

Working at UnitedUs gave me the chance to experiment with different design tools and techniques, but also to challenge myself in a supportive environment. Although I can speak fluent Russian and Ukrainian, the English language is new to me, so I was challenged to find new ways to communicate.

Seeing my designs come to life gave me the satisfaction of creating something that looks good and is also functional – something that positively serves a purpose in the world.

Workshops and presenting something to the client were a big challenge to me, to present new ideas and logo designs in my third language was quite an achievement. But the UnitedUs team were so supportive, they encouraged me to practise actively, giving me the time to talk openly and share ideas. Social coffees and pub trips also helped me to pick up on the everyday language used. And I even started to pick up on the unique accents some people have from across the UK.

What’s next?

UnitedUs has a creative culture in every sense, with friendly and fun people who clearly value ethics. One of the fun and unusual traditions for me was the Bacon and Waffle event, a get together over breakfast where someone from the studio leads a creative chat. This is a full hour where people can try new presentation techniques, new ideas, and get to know what people are interested in. And I very much enjoyed munching ‘brekkie’ in the sunny apartment with the rest of the team.

I am so pleased that I got hands-on experience with client projects in my time at UnitedUs. I learnt so much in just three months. I aim to continue growing and developing my skills and achieve my career goal to become an elite UI/UX designer. I want to work on a variety of challenging projects and collaborate with other talented designers and developers, in the way I’ve learnt to do.

Ultimately, my goal is to establish myself as a professional in the industry and make a positive impact on the user experience of the digital products and brands I work with.

So, to the UnitedUs team, I thank you so much. I look forward to seeing you all sometime soon, and chatting about my latest digital design projects.

You can take a look at my shiny new portfolio here.