Summer Experience Designer - 2026 Master’s Internship

IA Collaborative

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

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, wireframing 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.

Requirements

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

Nice To Haves

• 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.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with researchers, data & technology strategists, product, and business strategists to translate research insights and business problems into tangible user experiences.
• Assist in the crafting of client presentations.
• Participate in both exploratory and evaluative research.
• Assist 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.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern