📍 Job Overview
Job Title: UI Design Intern
Company: Trimble
Location: Christchurch, Canterbury, New Zealand
Job Type: Full-time (Internship)
Category: UI Design
Date Posted: 2025-06-09T00:00:00
Experience Level: Entry-level (Internship)
Remote Status: On-site
🎨 Role Summary
- Contribute to visual design activities for world-leading heavy equipment software products.
- Gain practical experience in UI design, graphic design, and user-centered design principles within a global UX team.
- Assist in streamlining visual design processes and contribute to clearing technical debt.
- Work with industry-standard graphic design and prototyping tools like Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, and Figma.
🖼️ Primary Responsibilities
- Assist the UX team with various visual design tasks and projects.
- Work with graphic design software, including Adobe Illustrator, Adobe XD, and Figma, to create and update design assets.
- Contribute to the maintenance and organization of design files using source control systems like Git or GitHub.
- Support design-focused team members in their daily tasks and projects.
- Help streamline existing visual design processes to improve efficiency.
- Create or update graphic design elements, such as icons and illustrations.
- Revise technical diagrams to reflect product changes and new hardware components.
🎓 Skills & Qualifications
Education: Currently studying a diploma or bachelor’s degree in UX/UI design or a related design field.
Experience: Prior graphic design experience or coursework with relevant software. Experience with Figma or Adobe XD is helpful but not strictly required.
Required Skills:
- Graphic design skills with proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Adobe Photoshop.
- Basic understanding of graphic design software concepts.
- Excellent attention to detail in visual design execution.
- Strong communication skills for collaborating with team members.
- Interest in user-centered design principles and practices.
- Legally entitled to work in New Zealand as a student.
Preferred Skills:
- Experience with Figma or Adobe XD for UI design and prototyping.
- Familiarity with source control systems like Git or GitHub.
- Basic understanding of UX research methodologies.
🎨 Portfolio & Creative Requirements
Portfolio Essentials:
- Include examples of graphic design work demonstrating proficiency in Adobe Illustrator and Photoshop.
- Showcase visual design projects that highlight attention to detail and understanding of design principles.
- If available, include UI design projects or concepts created using Figma or Adobe XD.
- Present projects clearly, explaining your role and contributions.
Process Documentation:
- Briefly describe your approach to graphic design tasks.
- If applicable, explain any experience with design iteration or feedback incorporation.
💵 Compensation & Benefits
Salary Range: NZD $23 - $28 per hour (Estimate)
Benefits:
- Free on-site parking at the Christchurch headquarters.
- Access to an on-site gym facility.
- Participation in an active company social club.
Working Hours: Full-time during the internship period (November 17, 2025, to February 13, 2026). Standard business hours are expected, allowing for focused creative work and team collaboration.
🎯Team & Company Context
🏢 Company & Design Culture
Industry: Software Development (specifically in control technologies for heavy equipment)
Company Size: 1,001-5,000 employees globally, with over 400 in New Zealand.
Founded: 2000 (Transporeon, a Trimble Company)
Team Structure:
- Part of the CTCT (Caterpillar Trimble Control Technologies) UX team.
- Small, busy team of UX design and research professionals.
- Part of a global UX team with members in four locations internationally.
- Likely reports to a senior UX Designer or UX Lead within the CTCT team.
Methodology:
- Focus on user-centered design principles and practices.
- Involves visual design activities for complex software products.
- Utilizes graphic design and prototyping tools in the design process.
Company Website: https://www.trimble.com/
📈 Career & Growth Analysis
Design Career Level: Internship - This role provides foundational experience in a professional UI design environment. It's designed for students to apply academic knowledge and develop practical skills.
Reporting Structure: The intern will likely report to a senior member of the CTCT UX team, such as a UX Designer or UX Lead, providing direct mentorship and guidance.
Design Impact: The intern's contributions will directly assist the UX team in managing design tasks, streamlining processes, and maintaining visual assets, which supports the overall quality and efficiency of design delivery for critical software products.
Growth Opportunities:
- Gain real-world experience working on a significant software product in the heavy equipment industry.
- Develop proficiency in industry-standard design tools through practical application.
- Learn about user-centered design principles in a commercial context.
- Opportunity to network with experienced UX/UI designers and researchers within a global team.
- Potential for future career opportunities within Trimble or related industries based on performance during the internship.
🌐 Work Environment
Studio Type: Office-based at Trimble's NZ headquarters.
Office Location(s): Trimble NZ Headquarters, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Design Workspace Context:
- Work within Trimble's Christchurch office, providing a structured professional environment.
- Access to necessary design tools and technology.
- Opportunity for direct interaction and collaboration with the local UX team members.
- Located at a headquarters with amenities like free parking and an on-site gym.
Work Schedule: Full-time during the specified internship period (November 17, 2025, to February 13, 2026). The schedule is likely standard business hours, Monday to Friday.
📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process
Design Interview Process:
- The recruitment timeline indicates interviews will take place in June/July 2025.
- Expect interviews to assess your graphic design skills and understanding of basic design concepts.
- Be prepared to discuss your portfolio and showcase relevant projects.
- Questions may cover your interest in UI/UX design and user-centered principles.
- The process will likely involve one or more interviews with members of the UX team.
Portfolio Review Tips:
- Curate a focused portfolio showcasing your best graphic design work, especially pieces created using Illustrator and Photoshop.
- If you have UI design projects (even academic ones) using Figma or Adobe XD, include them.
- For each project, briefly explain the context, your role, and the tools used.
- Highlight projects where you demonstrated attention to detail and followed design principles.
Challenge Preparation:
- While not explicitly mentioned, be prepared for the possibility of a small design exercise or task during the interview process to assess your practical skills.
- Focus on demonstrating your ability to use graphic design tools effectively and apply basic design concepts.
ATS Keywords: UI Design, Graphic Design, Adobe Illustrator, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe XD, Figma, Git, GitHub, User-Centered Design, Visual Design, Interaction Design, Design Tools, Design Principles, Attention to Detail, Communication Skills, Internship, Christchurch, New Zealand, UX Team, Design Process, Prototyping, Illustration, Icon Design, Technical Diagrams, Collaboration, Software Design.
🛠 Tools & Technology Stack
Primary Design Tools:
- Adobe Illustrator: Required proficiency for graphic design tasks, including icon and illustration creation.
- Adobe Photoshop: Required proficiency for image editing and graphic design work.
- Figma: Experience is helpful for UI design and collaboration.
- Adobe XD: Experience is helpful for UI design and prototyping.
Collaboration & Handoff:
- Git/GitHub: Familiarity with source control is helpful for managing design files and collaborating with the team.
Research & Testing:
- Explicit tools not mentioned, but interest in user-centered design implies exposure to basic research or testing concepts.
👥 Team Culture & Values
Design Values:
- Focus on user-centered design principles, implying a commitment to understanding user needs and creating usable interfaces.
- Value collaboration within a small, busy team environment.
- Emphasis on streamlining processes and improving efficiency, suggesting a value for practical problem-solving.
Collaboration Style:
- Work within a small, local team in Christchurch.
- Part of a larger global UX team, suggesting potential for remote collaboration and exposure to diverse perspectives.
- Collaboration with design-focused members of the team.
⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities
Design Challenges:
- Working within a small, busy team may require adaptability and proactive communication.
- Contributing to technical debt reduction might involve working with legacy design assets or processes.
- Balancing creative tasks with process streamlining activities.
Learning & Development Opportunities:
- Opportunity to apply academic knowledge in a real-world professional setting.
- Gain hands-on experience with industry-standard design tools and workflows.
- Learn from experienced UX/UI designers and researchers.
- Exposure to the design process within a large, global technology company.
- Develop skills in graphic design, visual design, and potentially UI design under mentorship.
💡 Interview Preparation
Design Process Questions:
- Be prepared to discuss your graphic design process, from initial concept to final output.
- Explain how you would approach a task requiring attention to detail in a design context.
- If you have experience, discuss any exposure to user-centered design principles or how you think about designing for users.
Company Culture Questions:
- Research Trimble and the CTCT division to understand their products and market.
- Prepare questions about the UX team's structure, collaboration style, and how design fits into the product development process.
- Ask about mentorship opportunities during the internship.
Portfolio Presentation Strategy:
- Prepare a concise presentation of your portfolio, focusing on 2-3 key projects that showcase your graphic design skills with Illustrator and Photoshop.
- If you have them, include any UI design projects using Figma or Adobe XD.
- For each project, clearly explain the goal, your role, the tools used, and what you learned.
- Be ready to articulate your design decisions and process.
📌 Application Steps
To apply for this design position:
- Submit your application through this link.
- Customize your resume and cover letter to highlight your graphic design skills, experience with Adobe tools, and interest in UI/UX design.
- Prepare your portfolio, focusing on relevant graphic design and any UI design projects, ensuring it is easily accessible (e.g., a link to a website or PDF).
- Review your portfolio and practice explaining your projects and design process clearly and concisely.
- Research Trimble, the CTCT division, and their products to demonstrate genuine interest during interviews.