PlayStation isn’t just the Best Place to Play —it’s also the Best Place to Work. We’ve thrilled gamers since 1994, when we launched the original PlayStation. Today, we’re recognized as a global leader in interactive and digital entertainment. The PlayStation brand falls under Sony Interactive Entertainment, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation.

This internship is for Summer 2021.

New Design Product Intern

San Mateo, CA

About the Team:

At PlayStation, we consider user experience the entire user journey. Often user experience is synonymous with UI work. However, in the Peripheral Product Development UXD group, we look at both the physical and non-physical interfaces holistically. The peripheral group products include both physical and UI/UX products such as: PlayStation headsets, the Headset Companion app on the PS4 which allows you to tune your headset and D45 controller back button attachment.

The New Product Design Intern will closely collaborate with a small product design team to build a method - or way of framing that facilitates and reveals new products that are desired by users, leverages technology, and can generate revenue within 1-3 years.

Focus areas may include but not limited to: eSports, other sound related and gaming peripheral products. Specific focus areas will be determined 3-6 months before internship begins.

Responsibilities:

• A minimum of 12 user interviews and observational work.
• 2-3 design tasks which include user journeys, typologies, key insights, and relevant design thinking frameworks which help set the foundation for idea generation and concept exploration.

Qualifications:

• You are open, curious, and committed to having an open-mind towards new findings. Successful candidates have an ability to learn, iterate, and embrace the innovative world of product development. With new information, candidates adjust their opinions and consider differing opinions
• Excellent communication, presentation, analytical skills, and able to clearly articulate your concepts and their rationale
• Able to deftly balance research, framing and making
• Able to see the big picture, and understand the business needs to make tangible viable products that can be sold in the market

Requirements:

• Pursuing a graduate degree in design or engineering (or related field) and/or within 1 year of their post-graduation date
• Familiar with User Experience Design/Research
• Working knowledge of ethnographic approach
• Solid knowledge and/or interest in emerging technologies in gaming and headphone manufacturing is a plus

To get the conversation going, please answer the following questions in 1-3 paragraphs in a cover letter. We mostly want to get a sense of your approach and how you think - and appreciate you taking the time to write your answers.

• How might you spend your first 30 days in crafting a method of generating new product ideas and designs for the peripheral group? What are the things you would like to know?
• Describe a time when you learned something you hadn't expected in creating a new product or concept. What was the insight or approach that reframed what needed to be solved?
• Optional: Describe a product you admire - or one that could use improvement if they did just one thing differently.

Sony is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All persons will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, age, legally protected physical or mental disability, covered veteran status, status in the U.S. uniformed services, sexual orientation, marital status, genetic information or membership in any other legally protected category.

We strive to create an inclusive environment, empower employees and embrace diversity. We encourage everyone to respond.

We sincerely appreciate the time and effort you spent in contacting us and we thank you for your interest in PlayStation.