Product Designer Intern (UX)

Avant is growing its Product Design team. This role will help us improve the digital experience of our frontline customer service representatives. We are a Chicago-based fintech who believes in moving financial lives forward by helping consumers rebuild their credit, gain access to needed funds, and manage their money. Our agent experience is critical to meeting the needs of the consumers we serve.

The Product Design Intern (UX) is a paid internship lasting from June–August 2023. During that time, you will provide a meaningful contribution to our user experience design team. You’ll gain real industry experience by helping our team scale our design and research practices. You’ll work with the Head of Design and product managers to help organize and plan customer research efforts including revising test scripts, participant scheduling, and building prototypes concepts to test. You’ll have the opportunity to assist in conceptualizing new features and joining team critique sessions.

What you’ll do at Avant

• Carry out design and research assignments from design leadership
• Work closely with cross-functional product and technical partners to understand project goals and limitations
• Deeply understand our current customer support experience by participating in call-listening sessions, agent shadowing, and UI audits
• Share research insights with project stakeholders
• Design product concepts that will help assist our business operations
• Participate in a collaborative design team culture based in empathy and user-centeredness
• Prototype components, visual design, and user flows for web applications
• Follow standard UI components/patterns and design system guidelines
• Conduct usability testing on both concept designs and existing products

What you’ll bring

• The ability to apply critical thinking and problem solving to address customer needs
• Educational training in product design process and skills. Applicable university degrees are preferred (design, HCI, digital communication, pyschology, etc).
• A strong portfolio of past projects demonstrating your ability to focus on user needs and execute projects through to completion
• A love of being in the details of your craft with a working proficiency in current design tools (preferrably Figma)
• Familiarity with qualitative research techniques (user interviews, writing surveys, competitive analysis, etc)
• Ability to present your work to team leaders and clearly articulate the thinking behind your decisions
• An enthusiastic attitude coupled with a desire to quickly adapt and learn
• An ownership mindset that proactively seeks out areas to contribute and add value to the team
• An ability to receive project instructions and execute them with relative independence
• Past experience with client or corporate projects (ie: non-student work) is a plus
• Bonus points for passion for our mission of moving financial lives forward
• Undergrad or graduate school intern

Check out our Avant Blog!

We believe that a diverse set of backgrounds and experiences helps us create the most innovative solutions for our customers. We invite you to apply to our positions even if you do not meet 100% of the qualifications listed in the description. If you’re  passionate about our mission and aligned to our values, we hope you’ll come contribute to our awesome culture.

Why Avant is the place for you:

At Avant, we believe our values make a difference:

Authenticity. We show up to work as our whole selves and make sure others can too.

Collaboration. We can only succeed when we do so as a team.

Problem-Solving. The harder the problem, the more satisfying the solution.

Customer. We are all owners of the customer experience.

Initiative. Plan. Adapt. Get Sh!t Done.

We believe that great ideas come from anyone and anywhere, that everyone is an owner who drives change, and that we have more fun when we work together. We're problem solvers who love collaborating with intelligent and highly-motivated people to reshape the face of digital banking. Avant offers terrific perks and benefits, fun social events with employees who actually like hanging out together, and a flexible growth environment where trying your hand at new projects and being the active owner of your career path is encouraged and supported.

Some of our benefits include:

• Choice of great Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Plan options
• 401(k) Match
• Unlimited Paid Time Off
• Flexible Work Environment
• Generous Paid Parental Leave
• Lunch Allowance (Fooda) and In-office Snacks
• WFH Stipends for our Remote Employees
• Access to LinkedIn Learning for Professional Development
• No Meeting Wednesdays - (a.k.a. planned time to Get Sh!t Done)
• Summer Fridays
• Fun In-Office and Virtual Social Events
• And who doesn’t love the swag

This position may require you to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. If required, you'll be asked to provide proof that you’re fully vaccinated upon your start date or before working in or visiting our Chicago office. You’re considered fully vaccinated two weeks after you receive the second dose of a two-dose vaccine series (e.g., Pfizer or Moderna) or two weeks after a single-dose vaccine (e.g., Johnson & Johnson/Janssen). Failure to provide proof of vaccination may result in termination. Subject to applicable law and requests for accommodation.

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