Design Engineering
Showcase 2020

Over my placement I worked on many different tasks to support the team of designers and freelancers at Cellule, across several projects simultaneously. I had the chance to see the beginning of some projects and the delivery of others, which has allowed me to assist in many stages of the design engineering process: from the initial research and exploration, to the final deliverables.

I worked on the early stages of a product design project (under NDA). I conducted research to explore the market of the product, then undertook ideation and prototyping to explore the possibilities. I suggested paths for exploration that will have an impact on the rest of the development process. My understanding of the technical aspects was especially useful for the designer-led team.

The project I have been most involved in is Echoes, an app that will be released in autumn 2020. I arrived to Cellule when the team was in the exploration stage, and I worked on branding development. I then participated in the development of the interface of the app: creating each screen of the user interface (UI) through many iterations. I evaluated usability and aesthetic factors to create the content and layout, which I then presented to the design lead. I took part in feedback sessions with end users, and helped improve the UI further. Finally, I created the website of the app (echoesapp.org). Through this project I developed my graphic design, UI design and web development skills.

I worked on several other projects, and undertook tasks that required learning new skills and software, such as Adobe After Effects, Cinema 4D, WordPress.

I have sought to produce work to the high standard set by the studio, so that my contribution could be as good as that of an employee, and I was given more important tasks and responsibilities as my competency improved.

I have tried to add value through my work by applying my design skills and using my engineering knowledge in particular. My design engineering background allowed me to understand design decisions and requirements, as well as engineering constraints and possibilities. I was able to understand the design perspective in engineering jobs, and vice-versa. I was able to provide a lot of flexibility in my work.

I have worked on essential parts of projects, on actual deliverables commissioned to the studio. For example, putting together the interface of Echoes, creating graphic assets used in the app, and assuming the role of a web developer for its website.

I also undertook tasks that do not directly generate income, but that have an impact on the company in the present and the future, for example improving the studio’s website and social media. These are important channels of growth for Cellule, and the way the studio is represented online may also have an impact on its future sales.

This placement was a great opportunity to understand the space that I can occupy in the design industry as a design engineer. I was part of a small team of two, who handles the whole design engineering process, so I was involved in all of it and my contribution was valued. I was pushed to learn new skills through practice, but with time to get there. Working in several projects simultaneously kept the tasks and learnings diverse and interesting.