By Harmonic 2026 interns: Calina Gasser and Shuruthi Saravanan
This summer, Shuruthi and I had the incredible opportunity of being service design interns here at Harmonic Design. Throughout 10 weeks, we worked together with Harmonicas on different projects, being hands-on and gaining priceless experience and knowledge. We learned so much during this time, and we want to share a few things we learned and some tips for future interns.
Calina’s Experience: My time at Harmonic this summer has completely transformed me as a designer. Working for a company like Harmonic has been a dream of mine, and it was such an incredible opportunity to learn from some of the best. I not only got hands-on experience, but I felt like I was a part of the team. Everyone was so welcoming and encouraging, and they really took the time to foster an encouraging learning environment.
Calina’s Takeaway: My biggest takeaway from this experience is that every day is a chance to learn. Even if you are in normal meetings, during your normal schedule, there is always something to learn. Part of the reason I was able to learn so much during my experience is that I learned not only through direct instruction, but through experience, trial and error, observation, independent research, and more. In every failure or misstep, ask yourself, “What have I learned from this?” Taking the time to analyze what is happening around you can allow you to consider what can be taken out of everyday situations.
Calina’s Advice: My advice to future interns would be to participate and take advantage of your opportunity. Voice your ideas, questions, concerns, and everything you want to say. When you are able to dive in and truly be part of the team, you can learn so much more. By fully participating in every meeting, every project, every work session, I was able to learn through my actions, as well as be an asset to the team and help accomplish our shared goal. It can be scary to voice your opinions as an intern, but you are able to validate your thinking, learn from your mistakes, and grow exponentially when you do so.
Shuruthi’s Experience: The internship at Harmonic was a full-circle moment for me because Service Design has been a long-time passion now. Harmonic was the only company focusing on service design in the U.S. when I found them online seven years ago. And now, as a master’s student here, it was very exciting to be part of the team and work with their clients! The support from each team member was immense, and I have not seen a place more dedicated to looking out for the intern’s growth as much as they do here. Through the ten-week journey, I got good exposure to the client’s side of business, multiple service design tools, and lessons on design consulting.
Shuruthi’s Takeaway: Thinking back, my biggest takeaway was the confidence I gained. The opportunity to sit beside the people we were designing for on a daily basis in itself was a learning experience, and not something I saw in my previous workplaces. It made the job so much more human, and empathizing with the needs of a client much easier. Co-design was a concept I learned in college, and I am super happy to have practiced it here. Getting deep into the client’s ecosystem honed my understanding of a new industry, and their feedback helped me understand the impact design brought in.
Shuruthi’s Advice: A tip I want to give our future interns is to be creative. Be crazy with your ideas, and you will learn what is possible when you work with the team. Your superpower is the fact that you come from a slightly different world and have a sense of newness to your lens. Use this strength and see what can be better. As you learn the lay of the land, you will be able to empathize with your end user (or the client’s user). Keep sharing ideas and getting feedback from the team, and you will have a great experience.
Calina and I had a wonderful learning journey with all the Harmonicas, and it was a memorable summer experience for us. Feel free to reach out to either of us if you have any questions, and we will be happy to share a few stories from our experiences. All the best to everyone applying; it shall be a fun ride at Harmonic!