Summary
Role: Lead Program Manager
Partners: All Interns, mentors (Intern “managers”), Intern “Buddies”, other designers, service leads, HR
Tools: Miro, Google Suite, Slack, Zoom
Timeline: April-August 2020 (program design & execution)
Methods: User interviews, iterative design, retrospectives
Key Takeaways:
Remote programs need MORE structure, not less
Quick pivots based on feedback build trust and better outcomes
Well-designed intern programs become recruiting pipelines and cultural catalysts
Impact:
100% intern satisfaction rating with strong mid-point and final feedback
Created scalable framework used for 2021 program and beyond
Influenced company-wide onboarding process with new welcome materials
Both 2020 interns received full-time offers at other companies
“I really appreciated that it was clear Forum One was really committed to teaching their interns, not just handing them tasks to do.”
The Challenge
When COVID-19 forced Forum One's established summer internship program online with just 7 weeks to prepare, we faced a critical question: How do you create meaningful professional experiences and build culture in a fully remote environment?
Forum One's annual design internship was a cornerstone of our talent pipeline. Previous cohorts had thrived on in-person collaboration, impromptu mentoring, and office culture. Now, with the pandemic forcing us remote, we risked losing these essential elements—and potentially our future talent pipeline.
Problems to solve:
How to keep interns fully engaged without physical presence or casual office interactions
Summer client work could be feast or famine; interns needed consistent learning regardless
Former interns told us they wanted better interview prep and professional development
Approach
Former interns held the key to reimagining the program
I started by interviewing former interns now employed at Forum One, focusing on what made their experience valuable and how those elements could translate virtually.
Methods Used:
Alumni Interviews: Discovered that structure, mentorship, and "real work" mattered more than office perks
Key Partner Alignment: Met with service leads to understand available projects and mentoring capacity
Key Insights
Structure creates belonging in remote settings
Implication: Build a formal curriculum, not just a task list
Downtime is dangerous in remote work
Former interns mentioned feeling "lost" during slow periods
Implication: Create self-directed learning resources and backup projects
Career development was consistently underserved
Multiple alumni wished for more interview practice and portfolio reviews
Implication: Build this into the program structure, not as an afterthought
A curriculum that mirrors our design process
The original curriculum and schedule for the 2020 internship
I structured the 7-week program to follow Forum One's design methodology—Discovery, Design, and Delivery—with Career Development as the capstone. This gave interns a framework for understanding our work while building their skills progressively.
Interns met daily with their mentors, and I met with both interns at the mid- and end-point of their internship to gather feedback about their experience.
Using the feedback from the mid-point interview, we were able to pivot the second half of the internship to give the designers opportunities to practice presenting their work—something that both of them mentioned in their feedback.
We ended the internship with a mock-interview and portfolio review with senior design leadership as well as career advice to set them up for success as they left Forum One.
Key Decisions & Trade-offs
More structure vs. flexibility
Formal curriculum with flexibility for client work
Impact: Interns felt supported while still getting real project experience
Synchronous vs. asynchronous learning
Hybrid approach with weekly live AMAs and async resources
Impact: Accommodated different learning styles and time zones
Results & Impact
The program materials I developed became the foundation for Forum One's new designer onboarding process. The "welcome document" I created for interns evolved into a comprehensive onboarding guide that helped the design team scale from 13 to 18 members.
“It’s been a nice surprise to be doing design for real projects. There’s always something to do, I’m glad to be able to fill my schedule with meetings and I feel like I have support here.”
Quantitative Outcomes
Intern satisfaction: 5/5 average rating (exceeded target)
Offer conversion: 100% of interns received competitive full-time offers after their internships
Program adoption: Framework adapted by 3 other Forum One departments
Additional Impact
Cultural transformation: Remote onboarding materials influenced company-wide processes
Knowledge sharing: I developed a “career advice from Forum One” presentation that was shared with the entire intern class. This included quotes and career advice I gathered from staff across the company, as well as pointers for interviews and job applications. Senior company leadership also attended this “panel” discussion and it was incredibly well received by the interns! A recording of this session can be viewed here.
Sustainable framework: Program structure successfully used for 2021 cohort with iterations
Reflection
I'm proud that we turned a crisis into an opportunity. Instead of just surviving the shift to remote, we created a better program that gave interns more structured learning, clearer career guidance, and stronger connections to the team. The fact that our materials influenced company-wide changes validates the thoughtful approach we took.