2023 summer internship at BCG
i worked on building an optimized routing and dispatching solution for a large energy/utility company based in Texas
timeline
Summer 2023 @ NYC
role
Experience Design Intern (Specialty Consultant)
tools
Figma, Miro, Dovetail
team
BCG X.Ventures
Company
BCG X is the tech build & design unit of Boston Consulting Group. Turbocharging BCG’s deep industry and functional expertise, BCG X brings together advanced tech knowledge and ambitious entrepreneurship to help organizations enable innovation at scale. With nearly 3,000 technologists, scientists, programmers, engineers, and human-centered designers located across 80+ cities, BCG X builds and designs platforms and software to address the world’s most important challenges and opportunities.
Overview
During my 10-week internship, my assigned case was for building an optimized routing and dispatching solution for a large energy/utility company based in Texas. Due to NDA, I cannot disclose details of the project. On a high level, I helped conduct user interviews and usability testings, synthesize research findings into tactical design decisions, and develop UX/UI flows that would ultimately be built for the client.
Learnings
01. Accountability and ownership. The project I was staffed on was run in 2-week sprint cadences with handoffs at the end of each sprint. Working in such an agile environment allowed me to own components of the project and make sure each feature gets tested and validated at every sprint. It also taught me how to quickly adapt to feedback as the team was navigating through ambiguity during the early build phase.
02. Communication. Working in a large consulting firm requires the ability to clearly communicate with people outside of my immediate working pod. In my project, the case staffed over 25+ BCGers across multiple time zones, and being able to align and provide timely feedback was crucial. Because working at BCG is never siloed, I was able to broaden my network outside of the design cohort across multiple workstreams.
03. Working in consulting. Client-facing work requires more than just being able to design. My internship involved several trips visiting our client at their HQ as well as regional offsite locations. I quickly had to learn how to present myself and BCG during travels—in client meetings, in presentations/demos, and at client interviews. I stayed proactive during my internship and had the opportunity to assist a few Managing Director & Partners outside my assigned case in generating content for client presentations. Working in a place like BCG, it is important to be noticeable, and I learned to stay visible to the team and the leadership.