The WFH struggles of a design intern
I hit the ground running from the time I joined Tuber as a design intern in June 2021. I have helped to design several social media posts such as those for our IG account, @tuberpompipi. The one I enjoyed working on most was “How Tuber stays productive and happy during WFH”. Ironically, working from home (WFH) has been something of a struggle for me.
I am one of those people who started their jobs when WFH was a default arrangement under Singapore’s COVID-19 safety management measures. While some people are comfortable engaging others virtually through platforms like Zoom or Butter, I found having to do so with colleagues I have yet to meet a bit of a challenge. I am not really extroverted, so virtual communication yanks me out of my comfort zone and requires more effort. Thankfully, the team has been really welcoming; they helped dissolve my shyness and boosted my confidence to speak up during our online meets.
They were also the reason I managed to pull off a product Tuber was putting together around the time I joined the company: a newsletter. I have to admit I had no clue about the different aspects to consider in putting together a newsletter. But I had the support of colleagues like Tuber’s Design Director, Fei, and our Senior Project Manager, Jarod, who guided me whenever I encountered almost insurmountable obstacles. I’m proud to say our newsletter, Offshoots, has been launched, and I couldn’t be prouder of our efforts. And I learnt a few things along the way too:
- Always put yourself in the shoes of your readers (For example, is the text hard to read?)
- Visual hierarchy (Where do you want your audience to look first?)
- Do not use more than two fonts in one layout
As I work on other exciting projects at Tuber, I also look forward to experience working as a team in our physical office. It would be nice to finally sit and discuss ideas among people I only know virtually. But until that time comes, I suppose I will get the hang of working from the comfort of my home.