My UX design placement at JUMP

I’m Andy – a third year Interaction Design student at Northumbria University, and for the past three months I’ve been working as a UX Designer at JUMP.

When searching for a placement, JUMP was recommended by one of my tutors, labelled as a great local agency with a design and tech focus. I was impressed by the quality of work and got a good feel for the studio’s atmosphere during my first visit. After a relaxed interview with Head of Design, Andrew Baxter and UX Manager, Danielle Stone, I was offered a three month paid placement focussing on user experience and design.

Settling in came very naturally; from day one was I made to feel part of the team, involved in daily stand-ups and design team meetings. My opinions always felt valued and I was happy to share equal responsibility with other designers.          

I was able to dive straight into project work and was briefed on the website design for an existing client. It was interesting to apply the design processes to a real-world project outside the university environment. Seeing a project I had led develop from start to finish was also incredibly rewarding and gave me valuable experience of working to deadlines with a client.

The fast-paced agency lifestyle meant no day was the same. I worked on a range of digital projects. This allowed me to develop a range of UX and design skills which will benefit me going into my final year at university.

Working alongside a team of such talented and creative people has been inspiring as a designer. Seeing the quality of work produced has encouraged me to improve my own abilities and massively grow in confidence. I am also thankful for the support I received by the team around me who made my experience smooth and enjoyable.

I would highly recommend JUMP if looking for a placement. The experience of working in a studio has given me a much clearer understanding of how the industry works, and more importantly, has made me much more confident as a designer.