Work With Us

Summer Associates

Adaptive Path is hiring graduate students and exceptional undergrads who have experience, expertise or interest in one of more of the following -- interaction design, information architecture, design strategy or design research. We're looking for people who bring unique perspectives, a willingness to adapt and to learn, a passion for user-centered design, and great skills -- you know, like wireframing skills, prototyping skills, research skills, computer hacking skills, nunchuk skills...

Adaptive Path is a little different from your typical creative firm.

Driven by "The Cause" -- creating great experiences that improve people's lives -- we don't just do user-centered design and strategy work, we're also always seeking opportunities to empower others to do the same. That's why we're passionate about educating and shaping a new generation of user experience professionals through our Internship Program. It's also why...

We're unusually collaborative.
We don't work for clients, we work with clients. As JJG likes to quote, "Give a man a fish, you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish and you have fed him for a lifetime." We teach our clients (and interns) how to fish -- and we learn from them as well. Our collaborative approach means we give our interns real client exposure, treat them like professionals and teach them what it takes to be not just designers, but facilitators, consultants and professionals.

We're unusually vocal.
We're compelled to share everything we're doing and thinking through writing, speaking and occasionally coining words. We share this megaphone with our interns, helping them develop and flesh out ideas and giving them a voice in the user experience community.

We're unusually empowering.
We have diverse interests and are empowered to achieve personal and professional goals. We have a say in which projects we work on and we place a premium on work/life balance. We do our best to match interns with projects that match their expertise, experience and interests and pair interns with mentors who help them set and achieve individual goals.

If this excites you, we encourage you to apply!

Summer Internships begin June 1st and end August 7th (10 weeks) and are open to students pursuing advanced degrees in design, business, the social sciences or library and information sciences. We also offer 3-6 month internships to qualified individuals.

Interns will be assigned to project teams and will work alongside project leads, project managers and practitioners on client facing projects. Interns may also participate in Adaptive Path research and development projects. Past projects have included Charmr and Aurora. All interns are paired with an Adaptive Path staff member who will serve as their advocate and mentor within the organization.

We are looking for interns to work in our San Francisco and Austin studios.

Compensation is commensurate with experience. In addition, we offer a travel stipend to individuals from outside the Bay Area. Interns receive 2 days paid vacation and 1 complimentary haircut from the swanky Grasshopper Salon.

Housing is not provided, but we will provide interns with a Welcome Packet that includes housing guidance. We recommend beginning the summer housing search as soon as April.

To apply, send us an email (no phone calls, please) at internships AT adaptivepath DOT com that includes or points to:

• A resume
• Samples of design, strategy and/or research work (for team projects, we're particularly interested in what YOU contributed to the work)
• A one-page statement about what you hope to get out of an Adaptive Path internship and what you have to offer

The deadline for Summer Internship applications is March 31. Select applicants will be contacted for follow-up interviews. All applicants will be informed of the status of their application by March 31st. There is no deadline for 3-6 month internships.