The Art of Collaboration: Intern Takeaways from Summer 2024

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Every summer at Harmonic Design, a new group of bright minds joins our studio, diving into human-centered, inclusive, and sustainable service design. Last year, our interns Clay Shackelford and Kirti Karwal shared their transformative experiences—what they learned, their “aha” moments, and the valuable lessons they’ll carry into their careers. From leveraging the right tools to the art of storytelling and collaboration, their reflections offer a window into the dynamic and impactful world of service design at Harmonic.

Let’s explore their journey and see how this summer has shaped their thinking, creativity, and approach to design.

Key Lessons from the Summer

Clay: Use the right tools: As an intern, I learned the value of using the right design tools for specific problems. After identifying the opportunity area to focus on, I ask, “What tool should I use?” instead of immediately jumping in to solve the problem. At Harmonic, I used tools like interview research, ethnography, archetypes, collaborative workshops, and hypothesis mapping. 

Kirti: 

  1. Like Clay, one of the biggest lessons I learned at Harmonic Design was that there is no set order for applying tools and frameworks. In college, we’re often taught to follow a sequence of frameworks to achieve a defined outcome. However, at Harmonic, I was introduced to a more flexible approach. The key is to use a combination of tools in a way that best suits the context and challenges of the project. I learned how to use these tools effectively and when and why they should be applied. This approach taught me the importance of grounding myself in the key questions that drive the project. Most importantly, I realized that asking, “What do I want the stakeholders to take away from this work?” was the foundational question that guided my choice of tools and frameworks. This shift in thinking allowed me to craft the story most effectively.
  2. Another key takeaway was understanding the crucial connection between measuring the impact of your work and storytelling. These two elements truly go hand in hand and define a service designer who creates impactful, user-centered designs. I saw how measuring impact was seamlessly woven into journey maps and service blueprints. This ensured the design process emphasized both user understanding and tangible outcomes. For instance, in the project I worked on, the team developed a data-driven blueprint that brought all stakeholders together to improve service delivery for employees and users. The power of seeing touchpoints as data points was eye-opening—it not only aligned everyone around the same goal but also helped us future-proof the blueprint, ensuring its adaptability and continued relevance.
clay stephen harmonic design
Clay collaborating with Stephen

Light-Bulb Moments

Clay: Collaboration isn’t just helpful to design; it’s key. I worked in near-constant collaboration with other Harmonicas and client teams throughout my internship. Because of that, I learned the value of collaboration in solving design problems. Because service design solves problems across organizational silos, creating a collaborative environment is key to success in innovating businesses to become service-oriented. I can’t wait to apply this collaborative approach to my future endeavors!

Kirti: Making services actionable: Interacting with the team and participating in internal discussions sparked my curiosity about service implementation. It quickly became one of the aspects I was most eager to explore. Through these conversations, I realized it was the missing piece of the puzzle, answering what lies beyond the traditional Double Diamond design process

Service implementation provided me with clarity on how to make services actionable after user testing and iteration. I discovered that it’s not just about planning the steps to launch a new or revised service but about realizing value for everyone involved in the service experience. It’s about aligning implementation with the overarching vision, ensuring a cohesive approach that avoids siloed efforts and creates maximum stakeholder impact. This deeper understanding helped me reshape my thoughts about moving from design to delivery.

The Harmonic Experience

Clay:

  1. Thought Leaders: Harmonicas love what they do, and because of that, they are constantly pushing their practice. Harmonicas are at the forefront of service design thinking. As an intern, I couldn’t help but learn from everyone I met. As an intern, I was given two design mentors, Felisha and Matias, to guide me through my internship. I enjoyed meeting with them because they provided an experienced perspective that helped me get the most out of each week of my internship.
  2. Culture of Respect: Harmonicas work hard but always maintain a culture of respect and kindness. During my internship, I enjoyed my work and the people I had the privilege of working with. As an intern, I was given opportunities to speak up and contribute to the conversation within the company weekly. One highlight of this experience was when Kirti and I led the company in a collaborative root-cause analysis, contributing to an internal Harmonic initiative. Every Harmonica, from CEO to intern, is challenged to learn and contribute in an impactful way to company initiatives.

Kirti: Interning with Harmonic Design this summer was an exhilarating and enriching experience. I had the privilege of working alongside service designers who shared a contagious passion for service design. Harmonic designers come from diverse backgrounds, and I was fascinated by their unique perspectives on the practice and deeply inspired by their thought leadership and partnership. To me, what makes Harmonic stand apart is that they love what they do and are genuinely invested in your growth.

Every conversation I had felt meaningful—whether a casual chat or a deep dive into a project, I walked away with valuable takeaways that shaped my thinking. They didn’t just challenge me to think differently, but they also made me see the bigger picture of what service design can achieve. Interning at Harmonic, I approached design, which made me more confident, curious, and excited about the work I wanted to create.

Kirti Intern 2024 Last Day
Kirti (center) and Harmonic team celebrating her last day

What was the most exciting or surprising task you worked on during your internship?

Kirti: The highlight of my internship was participating in the intern growth curriculum. Each session was so thoughtfully curated. It wasn’t just about gaining extra knowledge on the processes, co-creative techniques, and tools & frameworks we use to design better for humans, but also about sparking meaningful conversations. We delved into unique approaches to projects, shared personal experiences, and even explored how our interests outside service design connected to its core principles. I will never forget some of those stories!

What made it even more exciting was seeing how the takeaways both Clay and I had from these sessions came together in one of the internal projects we wanted to pursue. It became a space to experiment with what we learned and reflect on how those lessons could shape real-world outcomes. That blend of learning, doing, and connecting made the entire experience incredibly valuable. 

Clay: While exploring the design process during my internship, I enjoyed creating visual designs. As someone with a degree in marketing, I often created graphics that created engagement, but at Harmonic, I learned to create graphics that display meaning and visualize intangible value. I met with a team member, Laura, who I collaborated with to create a graphic that demonstrated a client’s ecosystem. Laura walked me through creating several iterations until we finalized a graphic that suited our client’s interests and needs. As I learned to utilize tools like color, shape, and pattern in new ways, my work felt meaningful to me and brought value to the team.

Advice for Future Interns

Kirti: All it takes is a little curiosity! Ask a lot of questions. That’s something that truly made a difference for me during my internship. Whether it was a big question, a small one, something that felt silly, or a deeply thoughtful one, it always led to an insightful and impactful conversation with the Harmonic team. Their openness and willingness to dive into any discussion made learning natural and exciting.

Clay: My first advice is to embrace being an intern. At Harmonic, you’ll have plenty of opportunities to contribute to the team, but you are also expected to put yourself in a position to learn from the people around you. Secondly, bring what you have to the table with confidence. Even if you don’t have “x years of experience,” if you have a design mindset, learning design skills will come over time. Lastly, challenge yourself in small ways daily. When working in an experienced team, putting yourself in positions that push you beyond your known skillset can be challenging. However, this uncomfortableness is the exact place you are supposed to put yourself as a Harmonica. Push your practice!


At Harmonic Design, we’re committed to shaping the future of service design by fostering the growth of emerging designers and creative professionals. Our summer internships provide hands-on opportunities to explore the intersection of design and strategy, crafting meaningful experiences across channels. Each intern contributes fresh perspectives and innovative thinking, helping us create more human, inclusive, and sustainable services.

Interested in joining us? Learn more about the service design internship at Harmonic and how you can become part of our vibrant, collaborative community.

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