SAP Internship Experience Program

Designing for data & analytics products within the SAP Business Technology Platform

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SAP iXp

Disclaimer: While all my projects are under NDA, I can only provide a general overview of what I did, along with the things I learned.

Overview

During my time at SAP Vancouver, I worked on data and analytics products within the SAP Business Technology Platform, namely, SAP Analytics Cloud and SAP Data Warehouse Cloud.

My Role: UX Design Intern

Timeline: September 2021 - April 2022

The Team

I was a part of the Common Data Services or Platform cluster within the SAP Analytics Cloud design team.

We focused on areas around cross-application infrastructure, discovery, navigation, homepages, sharing, user management, etc.

At SAP, interns are fully immersed in real-world projects for real customers. I was lucky to have been given a wide range of learning opportunities, and have a variety of responsibilities outside of product design - like leading a UX task and doing UX research for SAC.

My responsibilities

Designed cross-application web experiences 👩‍💻

I conceptualized and delivered materials at various levels of fidelity, from workflows and quick prototypes to polished UX design specifications. I was lucky to have been given the opportunity to design for current and upcoming analytics products within SAP's Business Technology Platform.

Collaborated with stakeholders 🤝

I worked closely with UX designers, developers, and product managers to align with time-sensitive scope changes, take and implement feedback, and ship quality designs.

Worked with UX Researchers 🔎

I evaluated SAP Analytics Cloud's customer insights with a team of Senior UX researchers to identify areas of improvement and propose data-driven solutions.

Complied with the company's design standards ✅

I designed within the SAP Fiori guidelines (SAP's global design system) to ensure that visual components on the interface are consistent with other SAP products.

What I've learned

Advocate for UX 🙋‍♀️

I learned how to negotiate with stakeholders, defend design decisions, and advocate for the user experience, especially when priorities begin to change.

Hold your ground ⚖️

Designers are taught to take feedback and implement it, so making changes based on feedback is a common reaction. However, I learned that it's equally important to evaluate these insights and hold your ground on things that make sense.

Embrace impostor syndrome 🫂

Embracing imposter syndrome helped me understand the value that I brought to the table. Upon realizing this, I was able to turn discomfort into growth and present myself as confident even in high-pressure and high-stress situations.

Design is a success driver, not just a supporting factor 🌟

You can’t build a well-structured house without a plan to follow, in the same way, you can’t develop a functional product without a design in place. As UX designers, it's our job to ensure that design will have a "seat at the table" when it comes to planning the project roadmap.

Want to learn more about my internship experience at SAP?
Schedule a 30-min chat and I'd be happy to talk more about my process in detail!
SAP iXp

Volunteering for the SAP Community

I wanted to make the most out of the learning opportunities at SAP and actively participated in volunteer work alongside my formal role.

d-Shop @ SAP Vancouver

What is d-Shop? 🛠

d-Shop is SAP's pioneer maker space. Their mission is to "enable interest in technology by bringing the latest tech concepts and devices closer to everyone."

My project & role 👩‍⚕️

  • October 2021 - April 2022

  • I volunteered as a UX designer on a project called "Murray Link," which focused on understanding how we can apply blockchain technology to streamline the organ transplant scene in Canada.

  • My role consisted of envisioning workflows for Murray Link's key users (nurses & doctors) and using Google's Material Design Guidelines to collaboratively build a complete design system with a fellow UX designer on the team.

Intern Committee @ SAP Canada

Communications Lead ✍️

  • January 2022 - April 2022

  • Created compelling bi-weekly newsletters for SAP interns in Canada.

  • Created and wrote email invitations for virtual SAP Canada intern events.

  • Wrote content for SAP iXp's Slack Challenges, a 3-week long asynchronous social event through the Slack app.

Event Manager 📅

  • November 2021 - January 2022

  • Planned and managed virtual social events to increase engagement within the Canadian intern community.