I’ve never thought that I would open a web design internship. We at Outcrowd were often asked if we taught design and if there was a way to become our student. The answer was invariably no. But today I’ve got some good news for you.
The Outcrowd Web Design Internship is opening in a few days.
Why did we change our mind?
Our team’s experience is a valuable asset. I’ve never given it much thought before. After all, experience and knowledge are not tangible things you can put into a safety deposit box. But it’s not enough to accumulate this invaluable treasure: it should be multiplied. Apart from broadening the knowledge base and improving the team’s skills, we should also expand the number of skilled professionals. The time has come to share our experience and skills, to pass the torch, and help new talents grow. Today, we are fully equipped to do so.
In the future, our Internship may have branches all over the world. It will be open to students and teachers from different countries who will contribute their unique experience and vision.
The Internship will bring new employment opportunities. The new income and taxes will strengthen the country’s economy. For the students, it will be a way to learn an exciting and popular profession. There are plenty of design schools around. But good designers are still few and far between. We intend to rectify the situation. :)
I’ll be frank: if you want to study with us, you will really have to put your back into it. You will work ten hours a day. Our teachers will work just as tirelessly. Although technically there has never been an Outcrowd school, we have always been good at teaching. We have a huge experience of producing qualified professionals. We do it all the time. We have practiced mentoring, trained our newcomers, learned from each other and from the best designer teams, attended workshops. An Internship, however, requires a serious and comprehensive approach and high education standards. So we’ve got our work cut out. We want our courses to be the best and our designers to be the greatest.
Internship applicants will be interviewed and go through a tough “Navy SEAL” selection process. :) The best interns will have a chance to join our team or our partner studios. They will immediately start work, which is one of the reasons we can’t afford to train absolute beginners. We work with good clients and are responsible to them. So we welcome those who already have some design skills, work in the creative industry, have studied in art schools, and have good taste and creative thinking.
For those who are only thinking of learning web design, we have written a guiding program that will help start them on their way. The guide contains all the useful info and steps necessary for self-education. After mastering the basics, the most tenacious and ambitious students may apply for an interview and join our Internship.
Most design schools teach with an emphasis on theory (up to 60% of all instruction hours). Only 40% or less time is devoted to practice. At our Internship, practice is up to 90%. It’s a lot more effective. Internship practice has three levels: basic, UI, UX, and defending your projects.
Interns will mostly have to learn theory on their own. This is a matter of principle. A good designer is not someone who has been fed predigested knowledge but someone who knows how to research information and work with it. A good designer is always a curious and thoughtful seeker.
No, this is not something we or anyone else can teach. If you are already passionate about design and want to grow, the Internship will help fuel your passion and channel it in the right direction. The same applies to soft skills. Some say soft skills are innate and cannot be taught. But in our experience, it all depends on your willingness, ambition, and tenacity. You can develop any set of skills and achieve anything you want. I love ambitious people and will be happy to see them join the Outcrowd team.
Speaking of soft skills, I’d like to mention being able to adequately respond to criticism. A designer receives constant feedback and needs to take it in stride; it’s essential to listen to constructive criticism and draw useful conclusions instead of getting upset. There can be no professional growth and development without feedback. But a prospective designer has to be strong enough to withstand the constant pressure of countless edits and corrections.
Those who will pass the ordeals without giving up will become our “Navy SEALS,” the toughest special forces in design. These are strong, talented, and ambitious people. It’s the kind of people we need. The Outcrowd Internship will not be an easy ride, but it will be a ride to victory — for all of us together and for each of us personally.