Challenging, Yet Impactful
After an eight week internship, I have been invited to write a blog post about my experience at the BMW Group + QUT Design Academy. First and foremost, I want to express that this internship has been the most valuable experience of my entire academic journey. It has been filled with challenges that have left a profound impact on me, allowing me to witness firsthand what it means to embrace exceptional design concepts and advance cutting-edge technologies. The project required collaboration between two individuals, and I am fortunate to have met my partner, Olivia Caulfield, a friendly, articulate, and talented person. Throughout the internship, we consistently exchanged ideas and maintained open communication, working together towards our shared goals.
The internship project focused on a BMW UI/UX design, aiming to attract customers in an engaging manner. The project had an incredibly open-ended nature, allowing us to explore any ideas we had. Moreover, as someone who had never been exposed to UI/UX design in the automotive industry prior to the internship, it led me into a whole new domain—a realm that allowed me to freely explore, create, and unleash my imagination. As a student of interactive and visual design, this project enabled me to delve deeper into design concepts and enhance my design skills.
Initially, I had some concerns about the project's scope as it was quite extensive. We always had numerous interesting ideas that kept expanding, making it challenging for us to narrow down the focus and determine the project's content. However, this challenge gradually found its resolution. During brainstorming sessions, everyone came together and actively shared and presented their unique ideas. In addition to that, we had weekly meetings with Alexandra, a BMW Group colleague from Germany. Alexandra encouraged us to think in a future oriented manner, to break free from traditional frameworks, unleash our imagination, and not be limited by existing technologies. Through our conversations with her, I gained practical insights into fascinating and novel ideas and technologies, which allowed us to gradually find our direction and take actionable steps. It was thanks to Alexandra's assistance that we were able to define the project's concept and content—an imaginative project that looks towards the future.
During the creation of high-fidelity models, I encountered Blender for the first time. Its complex system and operational mode initially left me feeling overwhelmed. However, the team members were generous in providing technical assistance, simultaneously operating Blender and elaborately explaining its features. With their support, we were able to create a high-quality and pleasantly surprising high-fidelity model. As a student of interactive and visual design, I am delighted to have been introduced to Blender through this collaborative team effort. Although I have yet to fully comprehend its functionalities, I have developed a strong interest in this software. I am eager to learn more about it and believe that I can incorporate it into my future design work.
Lastly, this internship experience has had a profound impact on me. I have witnessed an improvement and strengthening of my design skills, collaborative abilities, and creative thinking, among other valuable aspects. Of course, these treasure-like gains would not have been possible without the support of the members at BMW Group + QUT Design Academy. Therefore, I would like to express my gratitude to Jordan, Epi, Dan, Tim, and Alexandra, who have consistently provided us with assistance during the internship.
One day, someone walked into the office and said, "The people here must be the most talented individuals from QUT Design Academy, right?" Though I didn't respond, I want to say, "Yes, they are."
Weibo Ye
BMW Group + QUT Design Academy Intern, Semester 1 2023
