UX and UI: two ways of looking at the same screen
The two acronyms are often used together, yet they describe different centres of interest. UX (user experience) is concerned with the journey: a person arrives with a goal, meets obstacles, hesitates, gives up or succeeds. UI (user interface) deals with what that person sees and handles: visual hierarchy, components, colours, typography, the states of a button, behaviour on mobile.
In a large team the roles are separate: user researcher, interaction designer, interface designer, interface content writer. In a small organisation one person sometimes does everything. An internship may therefore place you on the side of observation and analysis, or on the side of producing screens and component systems.
Before applying, ask yourself what drives you: understanding why people get lost in a form, or producing a clean, consistent screen? The answer shapes the kind of offer to aim for and how you present your work.
Common tasks during a digital design internship
A design intern is not there only to "make the mock-ups". Tasks vary with the maturity of the team, but the same building blocks keep appearing.
- Run a few interviews with users, then summarise the findings as journeys or points of friction.
- Carry out interface audits: spot inconsistencies, ambiguous labels and gaps with existing components.
- Draw screens at several levels of detail, from a sketch to a clickable prototype.
- Feed or tidy a component library shared with developers.
- Prepare a usability test, run or observe it, then write the recommendations.
- Take part in team rituals: retrospectives, design reviews, planning meetings.
In an agency, assignments follow each other faster and cover several clients. At a product company you will stay on the same service for a long time, which lets you see the real effect of your decisions but limits the variety of topics.
A portfolio that shows the process, not only the result
Recruiters look through many portfolios made of attractive screenshots. What makes the difference is the explanation of what happened between the brief and the final screen. For each case study, a few elements are enough.
- The context: who the product is for, what problem was identified, what your share of the work was.
- The research method: interviews, observation, analysis of existing feedback, with the number of people consulted.
- The alternatives set aside and the reason for the option chosen.
- The prototype, with at least one screen before and after a change that came from a test.
- The observed result, even a modest one: task completed faster, fewer errors, qualitative feedback.
Two to four well-told case studies are worth more than ten projects skimmed over. If a project was a team effort, say precisely what you did: research, wireframes, visual design, animation. A portfolio that is easy to open on a phone, without a password and with a clear home page, is a mark of professionalism in a profession devoted to ease of use.
Running a user test you can learn from
The test is your chance to show maturity. A good test starts with a realistic task: "book a slot for next week", rather than "what do you think of this page?". You then observe the hesitations, the steps back and the words the person uses, without guiding them at every step. The facilitator's silence is a tool in its own right.
A few practical benchmarks:
- five well-chosen people already reveal most of the major problems in a version, but do not allow statistical conclusions;
- facts ("clicked on the logo three times") are noted before they are interpreted;
- you distinguish what comes from the text, the structure, the layout or technical performance;
- findings are ranked by severity, not only by how easy they are to fix.
Your supervisor will help you interpret the observations and limit generalisations: a test with ten colleagues from the company does not represent the real audience. Say so clearly in your reports.
Accessibility, technical constraints and plain language
An interface only succeeds if as many people as possible can use it. Digital accessibility includes colour contrast, keyboard navigation, compatibility with screen readers, the size of clickable areas, the ability to enlarge text and the clarity of error messages. In France, a public accessibility framework serves as the basis for many obligations on public services and some companies; knowing it exists is an asset at interview.
Technical constraints are part of the job too. An attractive animation can slow a page on an entry-level phone; a custom component can cost several days of development when an existing one would do. Talk to the developers early, ask what is simple or costly, and show that you accept reasoned compromises.
Finally, language counts as much as imagery. A badly worded button label, error message or instruction is as irritating as poor alignment. Being able to write short, concrete text without jargon often separates two otherwise similar profiles.
Study routes, internship or work-study: how to choose
The routes in are varied: design and applied arts schools, digital schools, universities with multimedia career tracks, engineering or business schools offering a user experience option. Some courses build in an internship from the first year, others place it at the end of the cycle. Some programmes offer work-study after a common first year, which lets you spend time in a company over the long term.
An internship suits you when you want to discover a sector or a role without a long commitment. In France it is governed by an agreement signed with your school and the host organisation. Work-study rests on an employment contract and means finding a host company before or during the course; it offers more continuous experience, at the price of a demanding rhythm.
Whichever you choose, check that your school helps with the search for a company, organises portfolio presentations and has a network of digital product professionals. Those supports, more than the name of the institution, make the search easier.
Pay and an example of comparing offers
In France, an internship of more than two months in the same organisation entitles you to a stipend (gratification). The legal minimum is set by regulation and changes over time; check the current amount with your school. Many agencies and product companies offer more than that minimum, but amounts vary widely from one organisation to another.
Illustration with round, hypothetical figures. You have two four-month offers. Agency A offers 900 euros a month, for mock-up work across several clients; start-up B offers 800 euros a month, with a single project, a senior designer as supervisor and regular user tests. The difference in pay over the period is 400 euros. For the start of a career, the second offer may do more for your portfolio, provided the supervisor is really available. It is therefore worth asking, before signing, how many hours a week they will give to follow-up.
Finally, compare the extra costs: transport, any housing, access to tool licences, and whether equipment is provided.
Applying: CV, letter, interview and mistakes to avoid
A designer's CV stays plain, readable and consistent with the visual world of the portfolio. Put the link to your case studies at the top, then the tools used, with an honest level. In the letter, name a journey on the organisation's product that you tested yourself, explain what you would have observed or improved, without harshly criticising the existing team's work.
At interview you will be asked to present a project in five to ten minutes, then defend a choice that is challenged. Sometimes a thinking exercise is set: how would you improve the sign-up process of a service you use? Remember to state your assumptions aloud.
Frequent mistakes:
- showing screens without saying what problem they solve;
- claiming sole credit for a team project;
- ignoring accessibility and error states;
- copying the style of a well-known app without understanding its reasons;
- sending a portfolio that does not open on mobile;
- forgetting to ask which pieces of work may be shown publicly after the internship.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to choose between UX and UI for a first internship?
Not necessarily. Many first internships mix research, wireframes and visual design, especially in small organisations. It is still useful to know which leaning attracts you, so as to direct your applications and to explain at interview why you would rather work on journeys or on interfaces.
Which tools do you need to master?
A collaborative interface design tool is generally expected, along with a prototyping tool and basic image editing. Supervisors care less about the list of software than about the ability to structure a process. Being able to read a brief and talk to a developer counts as much as advanced command of a program.
Can you apply without an online portfolio?
It is risky, because the portfolio is the main proof of your work. If you are starting out, two well-told case studies, even from school or personal projects, are enough. A light PDF can replace a website, provided it presents the process and is readable on a phone.
How many people do you need for a user test?
To spot the main problems in a mock-up, a small group of five to eight representative people is often enough. That number does not give statistical results: it serves to detect problems to fix. To measure a preference or performance precisely, you need a larger sample and a suitable protocol.
Can you do a design internship without a design degree?
Yes, people from psychology, computing, communication or sociology succeed in digital product design. They must still prove their practice through concrete projects, know research methods and master a minimum of interface tools. The portfolio partly makes up for the absence of a specialised course.
What should you ask the supervisor before signing the agreement?
Ask who will supervise the internship, how much time they give to follow-up, which specific tasks are planned, with which users or data, and which pieces of work may be shown afterwards. Also check the tools provided and the working mode, on site or remote, to avoid unpleasant surprises.