Nancy's Portfolio

Turning Imposter Syndrome Into Design Leadership

Overview

I joined Konrad Group as a UX Design Intern, working on 7 diverse projects ranging from MVP features to design systems and conceptual “blue-sky” explorations.

While most of my work is under NDA, I can share highlights of my contributions, learnings, and the capstone project (Journeir) I led during my internship.

This case study isn’t just about what I designed, it’s about how I grew as a collaborator, a storyteller, and a designer who learned to thrive in ambiguity.

I joined Konrad Group as a UX Design Intern, working on 7 diverse projects ranging from MVP features to design systems and conceptual “blue-sky” explorations.

While most of my work is under NDA, I can share highlights of my contributions, learnings, and the capstone project (Journeir) I led during my internship.

This case study isn’t just about what I designed, it’s about how I grew as a collaborator, a storyteller, and a designer who learned to thrive in ambiguity.

Project Type

Internship

Date

Summer 2025

The stats

Designing Across Systems, MVPs, and Blue-Sky Thinking

️☕ 26

Coffee chats

💼 7

Projects

🥔 36

Chip flavours consumed

Work & impact

Designing Across Systems, MVPs, and Blue-Sky Thinking

Design System

Built systems from scratch

Design System

Edited existing systems to improve accessibility, with a focus on keyboard navigation and focus states

Design System

Created dev handoff files detailing component requirements, use cases, and accessibility notes

Visual Design

Designed graphics for websites, pitch decks, and client presentations

MVP Features

Designed and prototyped new features for MVPs

MVP Features

Worked daily with developers, designers, and consultants, ensuring feasibility and alignment

Blue-Sky Thinking Project

Prototyped an app experience where I had full creative freedom within the constraints of the client’s brand

Blue-Sky Thinking Project

Took ownership from ideation to prototyping with guidance from my mentor and manager

Website Refresh

Audited an existing design system and reskinned components to modernize the visual identity

Reflection

Learnings

Thrown Into the Deep End

On my first week, I was assigned to a live client project. I felt completely out of my depth and struggled with imposter syndrome. Luckily, the design team’s support and a mentor who sat next to me and fielded my endless questions helped me adapt quickly.

Storytelling is Strategy

Presenting in client meetings taught me one of the most valuable lessons: it’s not just what you say, but how you say it. Framing design choices as part of a larger story helped clients buy into solutions.

End-to-End Thinking

I learned how to anticipate what different stakeholders need:

Developers: requirements, states, and naming conventions
Consultants: business implications and feature trade-offs
Clients: clarity of narrative and proof of accessibility

I learned how to anticipate what different stakeholders need:

Developers: requirements, states, and naming conventions
Consultants: business implications and feature trade-offs
Clients: clarity of narrative and proof of accessibility

Internship project

Reimagining the First Step of Travel

Travel booking interfaces are often cluttered, transactional, and uninspiring. I designed Journeir, a travel platform that reframes booking as the beginning of a story, not just a checklist

Simplified, spacious layouts that invite exploration

A brand identity built around curiosity, vitality, and grounded awe

Prototypes that blend narrative-driven storytelling with modern usability

Travel booking interfaces are often cluttered, transactional, and uninspiring. I designed Journeir, a travel platform that reframes booking as the beginning of a story, not just a checklist

Simplified, spacious layouts that invite exploration

A brand identity built around curiosity, vitality, and grounded awe

Prototypes that blend narrative-driven storytelling with modern usability

How might we reimagine the first step of travel as something that sparks curiosity and wanderlust?

The challenge

The Solution