In June of this year, two of our graduates took part in the UX Design Internship Programme in collaboration with Accenture Song, the creative arm of Accenture. This is a hugely exciting development between the two companies as it bridges the gap between the education and the design industry, giving our students an incredible opportunity to put their newly acquired skills into action.
As their three-month placement through this programme came to an end in August, we are delighted to announce that Accenture Song are keeping Bobby McGill and Iman El Sayed on for an additional three months.
Bobby, who has a background in Visual Communications, and Iman, who has a background in environmental engineering and pharmaceuticals, both completed our Professional Diploma in UX Design.
We caught up with their line managers and team leads in Accenture Song to see how they got on.
Why did Accenture Song seek out UX design interns in particular?
There’s a number of reasons, but first and foremost it’s because UX design is a growing area of our business and we need to bring in talent that has the time and space to learn at a more junior level.
Within Song, we work hand-in-hand with our clients, so building that business acumen while working as an intern means that there is less pressure to “do it all”. In addition, we wanted to work with the UX Design Institute as their calibre of student is excellent, as has been very clearly proven with both Bobby and Iman.
What impressed you about Bobby and Iman?
Both Bobby and Iman were very capable and jumped into the internship with both feet. I think everyone was impressed with their knowledge, their positive attitude and their willingness to learn, while also being willing to share their knowledge and previous experience.
As the very first UX Design Institute and Accenture Song Internship Programme, did this fill a noticeable gap in the different teams they were working with?
Absolutely. UX skills are incredibly difficult to source at the moment, so both were invaluable to their teams.
What did the teams learn from Bobby and Iman?
It depended on the team as both were working with other experienced UX designers. I think Bobby and Iman’s enthusiasm stood out the most.
Do you see a greater culture of UX developing in Accenture Song?
Yes. It is a core skill that we’re looking to continue to develop in the business.
Where do you see Bobby and Iman going from here?
We have extended both Bobby and Iman to the end of November in their internship. They may after get the opportunity to interview for our Early Talent programme if there are available roles.
Would you be happy to continue working with the UX Design Institute like this again?
Absolutely. We’ve found incredible talent in Bobby and Iman and we think that this partnership is one of the best ways for us to discover new talent. In addition, it’s inspired many people internally to look into taking on one of UX Design Institute’s training programmes offered as part of this partnership, allowing us to upskill people internally too.
You can read more about the UX Design Institute and Accenture Song Programme here and you can learn more about Bobby and Iman here.
If you are interested in hiring UX Design Institute’s graduates, our Hire our Alumni programme will connect you to the best new talent in UX and UI design.
If you want to train or upskill your teams in UX, you can download our corporate training brochure here.
