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Winston Liao

Field: Product Design, Wearables

Major: Mechanical Engineering

Host: Workaround GmbH (Proglove)

Duration: 3 months in summer 2018

Job title: Software Tinkering Intern

 

Job description:

Weeks 1-4: Build user interface elements in the Vue.js frontend framework for a web-based wearable display device. Collaborated with the team in incorporating user feedback and developing the product.

Weeks 8-12: Conduct need-finding interviews with sales engineers for building a demo kit that could be used to demonstrate the logistics use case for the wearable display device. I had to build a progressive web app that would work offline on the device, build the actual devices and hardware accessories, and then finally build the packaging for a set of eight kits.

The front end development experience was incredibly worthwhile. This was my first experience working on a software development team, so I learned how to collaborate with others in this regard. I also had the opportunity to learn a new web framework, which is very marketable skill. I had a lot of fun doing this design-focused work. It was also very useful learning how to do need-finding interviews. The hardware builds did not involve any engineering as I was just following instructions. It was useful to know how the product was built, but nothing more than that. Overall, I think it was rewarding in that I got experience as a software developer, which is a rare opportunity for mechanical engineers. Building my own web application was the part that I am proudest of.

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