It’s my final semester in the iSchool program, and I made it. I had a long journey from the start, including a brief hiatus, and yet I returned to finish with a passion – I even received the F. William Summers Award to prove my academic success. But perfect GPA aside, I’m most proud of my personal and professional development while remotely interning for the Office of Digital Research and Scholarship. The highlight was visiting FSU for the first time this semester and working in the office for a full week. Through meetings, workshops, and events, I learned even more and enjoyed interacting with the team in person. It was a fun and informative visit which I’d recommend any remote intern to do, if possible.
A beautiful Tallahassee day at Strozier Library.
My Spring semester objective was to learn more about user experience (UX) and apply it by compiling a report for the office’s website redesign. To prepare for the process, I spent half of the semester reading journal articles, checking out books, and utilizing online sources such as LibUX, Usability.gov, and Lynda.com via FSU. The other half of the semester, I applied what UX principles I learned to consult the office on how to redesign their current website. With this project, I now have a foundation in UX and demonstrated the process through quantitative research, user personas, and visual design. It’ll be exciting to see what recommendations will be used and how it’ll impact existing and new users.
Hitting the books on web and UX design to Depeche Mode.
Overall the yearly internship was somewhat unconventional since I worked remotely, but I was still able to understand the parts that make up a whole within digital scholarship. At this point I better comprehend how technology is changing research support and the research process as well. Although my time as an intern has ended, I’m looking forward to seeing what more the Office of DRS has to offer in the future – the new website included. I am grateful to have been introduced and involved with such a supportive and innovative community at FSU.
Thank you, Micah Vandegrift, for your leadership and mentorship, and the entire DRS team, for sharing your time and knowledge. With your guidance, I made it! 🎓
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