Digital Product Designer - Hive 16 (Internship)

📍 Job Overview

Job Title: Digital Product Designer - Hive 16 (Internship) Company: Humblebee Location: Kvarnbergsgatan 2, Göteborg, 411 05, Sweden Job Type: Internship Category: Digital Product Design / User Experience (UX) Date Posted: 2025-09-16 Experience Level: Entry-Level / Internship (0-2 years) Remote Status: Hybrid (with emphasis on in-office collaboration)

🚀 Role Summary

• Drive a user-centered design process from concept to Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for real-world projects with partner companies.
• Collaborate within a multidisciplinary student team (Developers, UX Designer, Service/Business Designer) to deliver innovative digital services.
• Conduct rapid field research to identify user needs, pain points, and market opportunities.
• Utilize prototyping tools and ideation techniques to create and visually test user-ready prototypes.
• Iterate on designs based on user feedback and test results, aiming for a "Minimum Delightful Product" (MDP).

📝 Enhancement Note: While the raw description focuses on design, the "Hive 16" context and multidisciplinary team structure strongly suggest a GTM-adjacent role within a product development lifecycle. The emphasis on user needs, market opportunities, and business models aligns with early-stage product strategy and validation, crucial for Go-To-Market readiness. This internship offers a unique opportunity to experience the end-to-end product development process, which is highly valuable for aspiring product operations or strategy professionals.

📈 Primary Responsibilities

• Lead and execute the digital product design phase of a partner company's project, from initial concept exploration to a polished Minimum Delightful Product (MDP).
• Conduct rapid field research and user interviews to deeply understand user needs, pain points, and behaviors within a defined opportunity space.
• Develop user journey maps, wireframes, and interactive prototypes using relevant design tools to visually communicate product concepts and user flows.
• Employ a variety of ideation techniques (e.g., brainstorming, sketching, mind-mapping) to generate innovative solutions for identified user problems.
• Plan and execute user testing sessions to gather qualitative and quantitative feedback on prototypes, iterating designs based on insights.
• Collaborate closely with developers to ensure design feasibility and fidelity during the prototyping and MVP development stages.
• Contribute to the business model design process, ensuring the digital service has a viable financial foundation.
• Maintain a high standard of visual design and user experience, ensuring the final product is "pixel sharp and crafted with care."

📝 Enhancement Note: The responsibilities highlight a blend of strategic design thinking and hands-on execution. For an operations candidate, understanding this process is key to appreciating how user insights translate into product features and how design decisions impact adoption and market fit. The emphasis on user testing and iteration directly informs strategies for product-market validation, a core GTM concern.

🎓 Skills & Qualifications

Education: Currently pursuing a degree in Design, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Digital Product Design, Interaction Design, or a related field. Experience: Previous internship or project experience in digital product design, UX/UI design, or a related creative field is beneficial. Experience working in a multidisciplinary team environment is a plus.

Required Skills:

• Proficiency in digital product design principles and user-centered design methodologies.
• Experience with prototyping tools (e.g., Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, InVision) for creating wireframes and interactive mockups.
• Strong understanding of user journey mapping and ideation techniques.
• Ability to conduct and synthesize user research and testing feedback.
• Excellent visual design skills, with attention to detail and a passion for creating polished user interfaces.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills for effective collaboration within a team and with external partners.
• Adaptability and a willingness to learn and apply new design processes and tools.

Preferred Skills:

• Familiarity with business model canvas or other business strategy frameworks.
• Experience with field research methodologies or ethnographic studies.
• Basic understanding of front-end development principles (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) to facilitate collaboration with developers.
• A portfolio showcasing design projects, demonstrating problem-solving skills and design thinking process.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this is an internship, the required skills lean towards foundational product design and user research. For operations professionals, these skills translate to understanding the user perspective, the product development lifecycle, and effective communication with design and engineering teams. The ability to synthesize research and iterate based on feedback is crucial for informing GTM strategies and optimizing customer journeys.

📊 Process & Systems Portfolio Requirements

Portfolio Essentials:

• Demonstrate a clear understanding of the design process, from problem definition to solution delivery.
• Showcase case studies that highlight user research, ideation, prototyping, and user testing phases.
• Include examples of wireframes, user flows, and high-fidelity mockups that reflect user-centered design principles.
• Present projects that illustrate the ability to iterate on designs based on feedback and data.
• For this specific role, a portfolio piece demonstrating exploration of an opportunity space and development of a digital service concept would be highly advantageous.

Process Documentation:

• While a formal "process documentation" requirement isn't typical for an internship role, candidates are expected to articulate their design process clearly during interviews and portfolio reviews. This includes explaining the rationale behind design decisions and the methodologies used.

📝 Enhancement Note: For an operations candidate, understanding the importance of a design portfolio is key. It reflects a structured approach to problem-solving and a user-centric mindset, principles that are also vital in operations. The ability to document and present a process, even informally, is a transferable skill for operations roles that require process mapping and improvement.

💵 Compensation & Benefits

Salary Range: This is an unpaid internship.

Benefits:

• Hands-on experience working on real projects with partner companies (e.g., Majblomman, Stadskupan, BRIS, Faktum).
• Mentorship from experienced Humblebee experts matched to your discipline (Digital Product Design).
• Opportunity to work in a multidisciplinary, collaborative student lab environment (The Hive).
• Exposure to Humblebee's established way of working, including user-centered design, rapid prototyping, and business model design.
• Potential to base academic thesis work on the Hive project.
• Direct involvement in the entire product development lifecycle, from research to MVP/MDP.
• Workplace located at Humblebee's office in Gothenburg, fostering team connection and collaboration.

Working Hours: Flexible workload to accommodate studies. Hivers can structure their involvement to balance project work with academic commitments, such as thesis writing.

📝 Enhancement Note: The unpaid nature of the internship is typical for student programs focused on gaining experience. The significant benefit lies in the mentorship, real-world project exposure, and the opportunity to build a portfolio with tangible outcomes. For operations professionals, understanding the value proposition beyond monetary compensation is crucial when considering internships or entry-level roles.

🎯 Team & Company Context

🏢 Company Culture

Industry: Innovation Consulting, Design Thinking, Product Development. Humblebee operates at the intersection of design, technology, and business strategy, helping organizations innovate and develop new digital products and services. Company Size: Small to Medium-sized Enterprise (SME). Humblebee is described as a team that works at the heart of their office, implying a close-knit and collaborative environment. Founded: The exact founding date is not specified, but Humblebee appears to be an established consultancy with a proven methodology for product development and innovation.

Team Structure:

• The Hive team is designed as a multidisciplinary unit comprising two Developers, a UX Designer, a Digital Product Designer, and a Service or Business Designer.
• Each Hiver is assigned a personal mentor from Humblebee's expert staff, providing guidance and support specific to their role.
• The Hive team operates within the broader Humblebee office, allowing for interaction with other consultants and potentially cross-pollination of ideas.

Methodology:

• User-Centered Design: Emphasizes understanding user needs and pains as the starting point for all projects.
• Rapid Field Research: Quick and focused exploration of the user's environment to gain insights.
• Prototyping & Iteration: Building and testing prototypes rapidly to validate concepts and gather feedback.
• Ideation Techniques: Utilizing structured methods to generate creative solutions.
• Business Model Design: Integrating financial viability and strategic planning into the product development process.
• Minimum Delightful Product (MDP): A focus on crafting high-quality, user-friendly products that exceed basic functionality.

Company Website: https://www.humblebee.se/

📝 Enhancement Note: Humblebee's methodology is highly relevant to operations professionals, particularly those in Product Operations or GTM Strategy. The emphasis on user-centricity, iterative development, and business viability directly informs how products are brought to market and supported. Understanding this process helps operations teams align with product development and ensure successful launches and ongoing optimization.

📈 Career & Growth Analysis

Operations Career Level: This role is an internship, an entry-level position focused on foundational skill development and practical experience. It’s an opportunity to learn the product development lifecycle from a design perspective. Reporting Structure: The Hiver (Digital Product Designer) will report to their assigned Humblebee mentor, who is an expert in the design field. The student team also collaborates closely, with shared responsibility for project outcomes. Operations Impact: While not a direct operations role, the impact of a Digital Product Designer in this setting is significant: shaping the user experience and functionality of a digital service, which directly influences user adoption, satisfaction, and ultimately, the success of the partner company's initiative. This experience can inform an operations career by providing an understanding of the "front-end" of product success.

Growth Opportunities:

• Skill Development: Gain practical experience in user research, prototyping, visual design, and iterative design processes.
• Industry Exposure: Work with real partner companies and learn about different business models and non-profit challenges.
• Mentorship: Receive personalized guidance from experienced design professionals, accelerating learning.
• Portfolio Building: Create tangible project work that can be added to a professional portfolio.
• Networking: Connect with industry professionals at Humblebee and potentially with partner companies.
• Thesis Integration: Opportunity to leverage the project for academic thesis work, potentially leading to deeper insights in a specific area.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, this internship provides a unique perspective on product creation. Understanding the design and user validation process is invaluable for roles focused on product adoption, customer success, or market entry strategies. The growth opportunities highlight the transferable skills in project management, user empathy, and iterative improvement, all critical in operations.

🌐 Work Environment

Office Type: The internship is based at Humblebee's office in Gothenburg. This suggests a physical workspace designed for collaboration and team interaction. Office Location(s): Kvarnbergsgatan 2, Göteborg, Sweden. This location is central, implying accessibility and a professional business environment.

Workspace Context:

• The Hive team sits at the "heart of our office," emphasizing a collaborative and integrated workspace rather than isolated pods.
• The environment is designed to foster real connections and team building, aligning with Humblebee's belief that in-person interaction is key.
• While encouraging in-office presence, there's flexibility for remote work on certain days for focused tasks, suggesting a hybrid-friendly approach tailored to individual needs.
• The culture likely values creativity, innovation, and teamwork.

Work Schedule: Flexible workload to match studies. This allows Hivers to manage their time effectively between academic responsibilities and project work, requiring strong self-management and time-blocking skills.

📝 Enhancement Note: The emphasis on in-office collaboration and a central team presence is important for operations professionals to consider. It suggests a culture that values face-to-face communication and team synergy, which can impact how cross-functional projects are managed and how operational processes are developed and implemented within a team.

📄 Application & Portfolio Review Process

Interview Process:

• Application Submission: Candidates are encouraged to apply soon as interviews are handled on a rolling basis. Applications should be submitted in English.
• Portfolio Review: Expect to present your design portfolio, showcasing relevant projects and demonstrating your design process, user-centered approach, and problem-solving skills.
• Team/Mentor Interaction: Interviews will likely involve discussions with Humblebee staff, including potential mentors, to assess skills, cultural fit, and understanding of the Hive project.
• Project Understanding: Be prepared to discuss your understanding of the Hive project's goals and how you envision contributing as a Digital Product Designer.

Portfolio Review Tips:

• Structure and Narrative: Organize your portfolio to tell a story for each project, clearly outlining the problem, your process, your role, the solutions, and the outcomes.
• Process Focus: Emphasize your thought process, research methods, ideation techniques, and how you iterated on designs based on feedback. Visuals of wireframes, user flows, and prototypes are crucial.
• User-Centricity: Highlight how user needs and feedback guided your design decisions.
• MDP Mindset: Showcase attention to detail and a commitment to creating high-quality, polished outputs.
• Conciseness: Prepare to walk through your portfolio efficiently, focusing on the most impactful projects.

Challenge Preparation:

• While no specific "challenge" is mentioned, be prepared for questions that assess your design thinking, problem-solving abilities, and how you would approach a hypothetical design task or a challenge faced within the Hive project context.

📝 Enhancement Note: For operations professionals, the interview process for this internship emphasizes portfolio presentation and articulation of a process. This is highly transferable to operations interviews, where demonstrating a structured approach to problem-solving, analytical skills, and the ability to communicate complex ideas clearly are paramount. The focus on "storytelling" in the portfolio is a key skill for operations to showcase impact.

🛠 Tools & Technology Stack

Primary Tools:

• Prototyping & Design Software: Proficiency in tools such as Figma, Sketch, Adobe XD, or similar is expected for creating wireframes, mockups, and interactive prototypes.
• Collaboration Tools: Familiarity with tools used for team communication and project management (e.g., Slack, Trello, Asana) would be beneficial.
• Field Research Tools: While not explicitly named, tools for note-taking, recording interviews, and organizing qualitative data may be used.

Analytics & Reporting:

• Not a primary focus for this design internship role, but understanding how design decisions impact user behavior and metrics is part of the learning process.

CRM & Automation:

• Not directly applicable to this design internship role.

📝 Enhancement Note: While this role is design-focused, the tools mentioned are foundational for understanding product development. For operations roles, familiarity with design and prototyping tools can enhance collaboration with product and design teams, providing a better understanding of user experience considerations that impact GTM strategy and customer adoption.

👥 Team Culture & Values

Operations Values:

• User-Centricity: A core value driving all design and product development efforts. Decisions are rooted in understanding and addressing user needs.
• Collaboration: Strong emphasis on teamwork within the multidisciplinary Hive team and with Humblebee mentors.
• Innovation & Creativity: Encouraging new ideas and approaches to solve problems.
• Quality & Craftsmanship: A commitment to delivering polished, well-executed products (MDP mindset).
• Agility & Iteration: Willingness to adapt and refine designs based on feedback and learning.
• Impact: A desire to create meaningful solutions for partner companies, often with social or community benefit.

Collaboration Style:

• Cross-functional Integration: The Hive model is built on close collaboration between different disciplines (design, development, business).
• Mentorship-Driven: Learning and development are supported through direct mentorship from experienced professionals.
• Open Communication: Encouraging candid feedback and open discussion within the team to drive project success.
• Hands-on Approach: Active participation and contribution from all team members in driving the project forward.

📝 Enhancement Note: The values of user-centricity, collaboration, and iteration are directly applicable to operations roles. Operations professionals who embrace these values are better equipped to align with product teams, drive process improvements, and focus on customer success initiatives that are critical for Go-To-Market strategies.

⚡ Challenges & Growth Opportunities

Challenges:

• Balancing Studies and Project Work: Managing a flexible but demanding workload requires excellent time management and prioritization skills.
• Working with Real Partners: Navigating the expectations and requirements of external partner companies can be challenging.
• Rapid Iteration Cycles: The need to quickly prototype, test, and iterate requires adaptability and resilience.
• Multidisciplinary Collaboration: Effectively communicating and collaborating across different skill sets and perspectives to achieve a unified goal.
• Unpaid Nature: For some, the lack of financial compensation can be a challenge, requiring a strong intrinsic motivation for learning and experience.

Learning & Development Opportunities:

• Practical Application: Applying theoretical design knowledge to real-world business challenges.
• Mentorship: Gaining insights and career advice from seasoned professionals.
• Process Mastery: Deepening understanding of Humblebee's proven product development methodology.
• Portfolio Enhancement: Building a strong portfolio with tangible, impactful projects.
• Networking: Building connections within the innovation and design consultancy space.

📝 Enhancement Note: The challenges and growth opportunities highlight the transferable skills gained. For operations, learning to manage competing priorities, collaborate effectively across functions, and adapt to rapid change are essential. The focus on process mastery and portfolio building directly supports career advancement in operations.

💡 Interview Preparation

Strategy Questions:

• Design Process: "Walk me through your design process for a project in your portfolio. How do you approach user research?" (Be prepared to detail your steps and rationale.)
• Collaboration: "How do you collaborate with developers or other team members who have different skill sets?" (Highlight your teamwork and communication skills.)
• Problem-Solving: "Describe a time you faced a challenge in a design project and how you overcame it." (Use the STAR method to structure your answer.)
• User-Centricity: "How do you ensure user needs are at the center of your design decisions?" (Provide examples from your experience.)

Company & Culture Questions:

• "What interests you about Humblebee and the Hive program specifically?" (Research Humblebee's website and their mission.)
• "How do you see yourself contributing to a multidisciplinary team?" (Emphasize your collaborative spirit and willingness to learn.)
• "What are your expectations from this internship and your mentor?" (Show your proactive approach to learning.)

Portfolio Presentation Strategy:

• Storytelling: Frame each project as a narrative with a clear beginning (problem), middle (process), and end (solution/outcome).
• Highlight Your Role: Clearly articulate your specific contributions and responsibilities within each project, especially in team-based work.
• Show, Don't Just Tell: Use visuals (wireframes, prototypes, user flows) to demonstrate your design thinking and execution.
• Focus on Impact: Quantify results where possible, or describe the qualitative impact of your design decisions.
• Conciseness: Be prepared to present your key projects within a set timeframe, focusing on the most relevant and impactful work.

📝 Enhancement Note: The interview preparation advice for this internship is highly relevant for operations roles. Demonstrating a structured thought process, strong communication skills, and the ability to articulate project impact through a portfolio are critical for securing operations positions. Understanding how to "tell the story" of your work is a key transferable skill.

📌 Application Steps

To apply for this operations-adjacent position:

• Submit your application through the provided link on Humblebee's Teamtailor page. Ensure your application is in English.
• Portfolio Customization: Tailor your resume and portfolio to highlight skills most relevant to digital product design, user research, and collaborative teamwork. If you have experience with process optimization or user journey mapping, emphasize those aspects.
• Resume Optimization: Clearly articulate any project experience that showcases your ability to understand user needs, contribute to product development, or work effectively in a team. Use keywords like "user-centered design," "prototyping," "ideation," and "collaboration."
• Interview Preparation: Practice articulating your design process and portfolio projects. Be ready to discuss how you would approach user research and collaboration within a multidisciplinary team.
• Company Research: Familiarize yourself with Humblebee's mission, their "Hive" program, and the types of partner companies they work with. Understand their user-centered design methodology.

⚠️ Important Notice: This enhanced job description includes AI-generated insights and operations industry-standard assumptions. All details should be verified directly with the hiring organization before making application decisions.