My awesome 2024 intern family and UP team!

Overview

In the summer of 2024, I interned as a UX Design intern at Riot Games, one of the pioneers in the gaming industry. I was part of the Player Platforms department on the Commerce Initiative/Payments team and tackled two design projects. For my starter project, I designed payments tickers for Riot's games, aiming to display payment system issues on the purchase screen to enhance relevance for players. For my capstone project, I redesigned an internal tool that manages payment method groups and price points in the checkout process. I will be sharing my responsibilities and key takeaways, but not the details of my work due to confidentiality.

Timeline & Responsibilities

From the very first minute of orientation to the day I left, I felt incredibly welcomed by my Rioter family. I quickly adapted to the new work rituals and responsibilities, allowing me to dive into my projects just after the first week of orientation and introductions. I spent about 2-3 weeks on the starter project, focusing on payment tickers, and used the remaining 2 months crafting and refining my internal tool capstone project. I had the freedom to set my own pace and work step by step. My responsibilities included defining scope, conducting user research, performing competitive analysis, and designing and prototyping wireframes. Working remotely also helped me gain valuable experience and improve my ability to collaborate with teams across different time zones and schedules.

What I Learned

Sharing WIP (Work in Progress)
Riot fosters a collaborative environment where designers are encouraged to share work for feedback, even when it's incomplete. At first, I was nervous about presenting unfinished designs, but the supportive atmosphere helped me embrace constructive criticism. No one expects perfection, especially from an intern, and this openness allowed me to grow as a designer. By my final feedback session, my manager and mentor praised my growth mindset, highlighting my self-awareness, ambition, and proactive approach to seeking feedback and continuously improving.

Effective Storytelling
Being a good designer is about more than creating designs—it's about clearly communicating your ideas. Before, I felt nervous presenting, fearing I might forget details or stumble. I learned that storytelling involves confidently standing by your ideas and persuading others of their value. Specificity helps colleagues understand your project’s context. Careful preparation allows me to choose my words thoughtfully, ensuring clarity. In my final presentation, I focused on explaining what I designed, why it was needed, and how it worked. The feedback was that I appeared well-prepared, prioritizing clarity over speed.

Player Orientation
Riot's core value is prioritizing player experience, which I kept in mind on the two projects I led. I worked closely with my mentor, Sharon, to define the problem space and asked precise questions to maximize user interviews. Our design jams strengthened my UX skills and taught me best practices, like when to use radio buttons versus checkboxes. After thorough research and regular feedback sessions, I sketched wireframes, ensuring each design was grounded in user pain points. I’m proud to have solved a critical problem and excited to see my solutions implemented!

All in all, it was the most amazing learning experience, and I felt like I was really making a difference. It also confirmed my love for UX Design, especially knowing that my work will eventually have a direct impact on players and other Rioters.