Internship
2026
Barbarian
Shaping digital experiences from creative direction to interaction design.
Overview
Barbarian is a creative and innovation agency creating transformative experiences for global brands including Samsung, JBL, and American Express.
As a UX Design Intern, I worked across multidisciplinary teams on 2 client projects. I had the opportunity to translate creative directions into experiences across digital and social for an integrated brand campaign, develop visual directions for brand experiences, and establish the foundation of a design system.
Highlights
Barbarian pushed me to rethink how I create
While creating a campaign for SkinnyPop, I learned to leverage AI as a creative partner in building more engaging and playful digital experiences. I started by sketching rough motion frames, then used AI to explore and polish the animation. Working this way pushed me beyond my usual process, encouraging me to experiment faster while staying intentional about the creative direction.
An opening animation I designed and brought to life with AI for the SkinnyPop microsite.
From product design to brand experience
Beyond digital product design, Barbarian challenged me to think about how a brand can show up as a cohesive experience across social and digital touchpoints. I explored art direction and branding to create a set of social assets and activations for SkinnyPop’s official Instagram, extending the campaign’s visual language into content designed to engage its audiences.
Bringing the brand into the real world
Barbarian taught me how to take a brand campaign off the screen and into people’s hands. I explored how SkinnyPop’s campaign could extend beyond digital touchpoints and become part of the physical product experience.
I designed a series of two-sided flavor cards tucked into random SkinnyPop bags, with each card introducing a signature flavor on the front and offering a coupon code for the next purchase on the back. The concept connected flavor discovery with a tangible incentive, turning a one-time interaction into an opportunity for continued engagement with the brand.
Building the foundation for scalable design
Beyond campaign strategy and branding, Barbarian taught me to think beyond the design in front of me. I learned how to balance a client’s immediate needs with the bigger picture, building systems that not only solve today’s challenges, but give teams a foundation to build on over time.
This part of my work is under NDA
Feel free to contact me to learn more about my design process!
Reflections
Growing through creative collaboration
As my first experience working at an agency, Barbarian gave me the opportunity to sharpen my craft alongside people who constantly pushed me beyond my previous design comfort zone.
Strong, lasting campaigns come from balancing what resonates with the audience with what the client needs to achieve. It’s about finding the space where both can come together.
