Summer Design Researcher - 2026 Master’s Internship

Summer Design Researcher - 2026 Master’s Internship

Applications for this position will be accepted until March 13, 2026; candidates should expect to hear back by the end of March regarding interviews.

All applicants must provide either: a URL to an interactive slideshow, a portfolio site, or a PDF attachment.

Summer Design Researcher

IA Collaborative is seeking a Summer Design Researcher to join our team during Summer 2026 for a 10-week immersive experience in the world of innovation, where you’ll work on real client projects as a part of a multidisciplinary team.

As a Summer Design Researcher you will:

• Research: Through immersive, contextual research you will live design problems and uncover insights to solve them. This may include assisting with protocols, recruiting, conducting virtual and in-field observations, and synthesizing data into deep and actionable insights.

• AI-Guided Exploration: You will work at the forefront of research and design strategy, integrating AI-assisted methodologies into your research and synthesis processes— combining rich human insight with the scale and speed of automation.

• Strategic Thinking: You will help us push the boundaries of innovation, creating frameworks, organizing information, and positioning new offerings.

• Design: You will collaborate with multi-disciplinary teams to translate research insights into principles and directives for design. This may include sketching and brainstorming ideas, and crafting stories to communicate insights, strategic recommendations, and design directions.

• Business Development: You will support IA Collaborative’s overall business by exploring future possibilities for the organization, including new offerings and capabilities, thought leadership, and other business growth-oriented activities.

Required qualifications include:

• Currently within the first or second year in a Master’s program with a concentration in Design Research, Design Strategy, Service Design, or equivalent field.

• Minimum one year of professional work experience with a proven track record of communication skills, interpersonal effectiveness, and personal management skills.

• Familiarity with a wide range of Design Thinking methodologies including: In-context observations, stakeholder interviews, journey mapping, and framework design.

• Ability to work with teams to identify user-needs and patterns, key insights, and opportunities, and then translate and prioritize opportunities into business and design implications.

• A drive to deliver impactful and actionable insights and provide clear strategic direction.

• Possess the ability to think conceptually about products and services, constantly exploring new and differentiated ways to design for users.

• Possess strong presentation and storytelling abilities.

• Experience using AI-powered platforms to support the research and synthesis process (e.g., Marvin, Dovetail, Notion, Dscout, Maze, etc.) in addition to a willingness to experiment with nascent tools.

• Ability to work from our downtown headquarters 3 days per week for the duration of the internship.

Preferred qualifications include:

• Previous experience in a research or design-related position.

• Experience with key research-related activities and deliverables: writing research plans, writing research protocols, developing screeners, working with recruiting agencies, facilitating research observations, note-taking and video recording, and debriefing observations.

• Familiar and comfortable using the Macintosh Operating System, Keynote, Figma, and Microsoft Office.

• Ability to travel consecutive days, if necessary

In the application and/or as part of the hiring process, candidates are asked to submit work samples/portfolio. These should be anonymized as needed to protect current employer and/or client confidentiality agreements.

We expect that the 2026 summer internship program will take place between ~6/8/26 and ~8/14/26. Availability will be confirmed with candidates prior to finalizing program details and schedule.

About the Research & Design Strategy Team

The Research & Design Strategy team at IA Collaborative is a naturally curious group who draw inspiration from the world around them and enjoys being “students of human behavior.” We are highly structured thinkers with diverse backgrounds, skilled at breaking down complex concepts and data into compelling, visual frameworks and actionable strategies for our clients.

Our team conducts human-centered, immersive, qualitative, and in-context research observations, ensuring that “user insight” is not just a phase, but continually infused throughout the design process. We believe that research is a creative process, and we constantly create and employ new methods and strategies to get as close to our users as possible. As experts in both design thinking theory and practice, we collaborate closely with our clients to design our research processes, derive key insights, develop impactful strategies, and craft compelling stories that inspire breakthrough design.

Why IA Collaborative

At IA, you’ll practice your craft in a whole new context. You’ll be a part of designing the future of human experience as you transform your client’s business, empower communities and create a positive and lasting impact on the world.

Our internationally recognized workspace provides the inspiration and flexibility to collaborate with teams or to focus as an individual.

IA Collaborative Work Model

IA Collaborative operates under a hybrid work model. Team members are generally expected to work from the IA Collaborative office on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, with the flexibility to work remotely on Monday and Friday, subject to business, client, and team needs. The IA Collaborative office is located in the Chicago Loop and is accessible via public transportation.

Client onsite and in-field work is a required component of all roles at IA Collaborative. Team members should expect to be in the field approximately one to two times per month for two to three consecutive days, for purposes such as research activities or client meetings. The frequency, duration, and location of in-field work may vary based on role, project requirements, and client needs.

Standard office hours are 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Central Time, Monday through Friday. All team members are expected to be available and responsive during these hours.

IA Collaborative reserves the right to modify work location expectations, schedules, or in-office requirements at any time based on operational, client, or business considerations.

About IA Collaborative

IA Collaborative is a global design and innovation consultancy focused on leading the forefront of behavioral insight, applied AI, and business innovation. We partner with the world’s most ambitious organizations to realize new growth, accelerate cultures of innovation, and create breakthrough products, platforms, and experiences. Our teams lead from insight to action – designing experiences that enhance lives, building collaborative intelligence that reinvents how we work, and launching offerings that impact the future of human experience.

IA is on the national and global stage speaking about the business value of design. Featured by Fast Company as one of the country’s preeminent design thinkers and nominated by the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum as a “Design Visionary,” IA’s leadership and work has been profiled by prominent business publications and has received multiple design accolades, including Best Design North America and Best UX Design in Fast Company’s Innovation by Design Awards; the SXSW Business Design Award; and multiple honors in the Red Dot International, International Design Excellence Awards (IDSA), the GOOD DESIGN Awards, and the iF World Design Awards. IA Collaborative works with the world’s most successful brands, including FedEx, Allstate, Airbnb, Fidelity, Apple, Johnson & Johnson, Nike, Lilly, and Audi.

At IA Collaborative, we are proud to be an equal opportunity workplace. We believe that welcoming a diverse variety of backgrounds, perspectives, and skills to our organization contributes to a thriving culture, a vibrant community, and breakthrough work. We are committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristics protected by federal, state, or local law.

For more information about IA Collaborative visit iacollaborative.com, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Glassdoor.

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