Apprentice Program - Week of October 20th, 2024 (WK43)
What’s on our minds these days?
December 6th marks the end of the program as we take a break for the holidays and gear up for next year.
We use November and December as times of reflection on how the apprenticeship program did this past year and how we can make it better for next year.
I certainly know I have some ideas; I would love to hear what the community thinks. Reply to this email and let me know how you would like to see the program improve.
With six weeks left in the program, what are people hoping to accomplish? Reply and let me know!
#1: Apprentice Program Specific News
2024 cohort
Friday, December 6th, marks the end of the program as we take a break for the holidays and gear up for next year.
Continuing apprentices
More than half of the apprentices every year continue with DIA. Some of you are leading projects with our partner organizations (e.g. World IA Association, IAC, and EuroIA). Others are getting involved with client projects.
#2: Apprentice Wins, Celebrations and Projects
Apprentices are starting the design phase on the May First project.
Share: Have any good news, life lessons, or need project help? Reply and let us know. We can share it in the next biweekly update.
#3: Events
3A - DIA Read Aloud Book Club
Due to lack of interest, the book club is on hiatus for the rest of the year.
3B - Game Club
The DIA Game Club has been on hiatus for the summer. We intend to use this time to rest and catch up on any jam entries we didn’t finish yet. Things are rough right now but we hope everyone is hanging on out there.
In the meantime, come hang out with us on Discord!
3C - Monthly Webinar
Webinars are topic specific and usually led by a mentor, but mentees are free to host s topic as well.
None scheduled. Is there a topic you would be interested in talking about? Let us know!
3D - Monthly AMA
The monthly Ask-Me-Anything events usually feature one of our mentors or apprentices and you’re free to flood them with 20 questions. Previously, we’ve heard from Courtney T. and Elizabeth A., among a few. None scheduled for this month. Is there someone or a topic you would be interested in chatting about? Reach out and let us know!
#4: Project Opportunities
- What is it: Social Media Marketing Plan for IAC25.
- Apprentice Roles: We need two apprentices. You will be working closely with the Social Media Marketing Manager developing design templates, content strategy, and accessing accessibility standards for social media content. The position is not paid, but will include free admission to a professional UX and IA conference - it is a fantastic opportunity to gain professional experience and network with professionals in your field.
- Apprentice Availability: This is a remote position and you can be located anywhere in the world.
- Time Commitment: Roles will start in October 2024 and go until May 2025. Time commitment is flexible, will vary from 2 hours a week to 15 closer to the conference, but is flexible depending on your schedule.
- Contact: Caroline Craner (either Discord or email, caroline@diadesign.io).
#5: Job Opportunities
We’re always on the lookout for relevant entry-level roles to share with our apprentices. They’re usually shared on Discord under Discussion > #jobsearch-opps. If you come across any, let us know! We'll be sure to share them here for everyone else.
- Associate Product Designer at Key Bank (hybrid at various locations)
- User Experience Designer at Comcast (Philadelphia, PA)
- UX/UI Designer at Mass Virtual (Orlando, FL)
- Associate Product Designer - Design Systems at Tempus AI (Chicago, IL)
#6: Volunteer
Need to find a project? Check out these volunteering resources and find your next gig! We’ll highlight a few organizations in every newsletter where you can look through and find something that interests you.
- DemocracyLab needs UX, UI Designers, UX Writers, and UX Researchers
- VolunteerMatch has a lot of web redesign projects
#7: Learning Resources
Did you know? Julia has been keeping the Design Education Resources database updated since 2022. See the full list.
- Using motion design to animate with purpose and create delightful experiences (9.99 US)
- Figma UI UX Design Essentials (free Skillshare)
- Intro to UX: Fundamentals of Usability (free Skillshare)
#8: Feedback wanted
Open rates are great, click through rates are alright. But how helpful is this newsletter really? Share with us why yet another newsletter was a good idea.
If you’re interested in past updates, you can login on the website and check them out. Login to comment or read past issues. Login is a magic link, no password needed!
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As always, we’re around to chat. DM us on Discord, reply to this email/post or schedule some time on our calendars:
That's all for now!
