My Internship Experience at Dineout

Summary

This Article highlights my experience of Interning as a Product Designer at Dineout (A Times Group Company) [Now part of Swiggy].

Background

Summer of 2021 had arrived and I concluded my Junior Year (3rd Year) Undergrad Assignments.

With Summer Break approaching, I wanted to get an internship experience that would not only help me in terms of learning but also where I can work on real projects or products.

I applied for a position as a UX Design or Product Design Intern at several firms in May, hoping to hear back as soon as possible. Many didn’t respond, for over a week or some rejected but Dineout responded in just 1 Day after application.

I was able to secure a Product Design Internship at Dineout after a pleasant and quick shortlisting/screening/interviewing process.

Internship Summary

Duration: 5 Months in Total (Initially 3 Months, later extended for 2 more Months) June 21 — October 21

Product: B2B (Torqus & Inresto)

People

The folks I’ve worked with at Dineout are deserving of the term “excellent.” Designers, developers, managers, and leaders all have a great eye for detail, which aids in the creation of a precise user experience.
My Design Team members, Product Managers, I.T support, Developers, Human Resources, Leadership, and the Chief Product Officer all made me feel really welcome and helpful.
The best part about this company was that there was essentially no hierarchy; you could address your superiors by their first names rather than “Sir or Madam.” Everyone was always eager to help me, whether it was work-related or not.

The Team

Because I was passionate about B2B products, I was assigned to the Design Team for Torqus and Inresto Brands’ B2B Products.
3–5 designers, 2 product managers from each brand, and 1 product management intern made up the team.

The two Product Managers who have been really helpful in providing comments and further insights throughout the trip have helped me understand more about what they do, what product management is, how to become one, and so on. Their in-depth understanding of each of the design criteria aided me in developing a superior solution.

The Product Management Intern who worked beside the 1st P.M. and was always willing to answer my inquiries or provide me with information or specifics.

Finally, the Chief Product Officer was a person who altered my perception of individuals in positions of leadership. One of the reasons I decided to continue my internship was because of his politeness and warmth.
All of the teams flourished under his direction and guidance, and they were able to complete projects and deliver products on schedule.

Mentor

My Mentors not only assisted me with any troubles or obstacles I experienced, but they also acted as an Elder Brother, constantly keeping an eye on me, conversing, or having fun with me.
The Main Mentor assisted me in the projects I was handed on, helping in alignments and design guides.
The co-mentor, who is a Senior Designer has a keen eye for detailed and precise design, even a mm difference affects the design.

Design Work

Dineout is a great place to learn and enhance your design skills. You are given sufficient autonomy to make design adjustments or enhancements, which are always welcomed and investigated. Even input is offered on how to improve the ideas.

Following are some of the Things I did at Dineout: -

I was invited to every meeting and actively participated in conversation, whether it was Feature Discussion, Revamp, Product Manager Inquiries, Developers-Design Sync Up, or Daily Stand Up Meetings.

Other Fun Stuff

In June, the whole Time Group participated in a Yoga Asana Challenge to commemorate International Yoga Day.
In this challenge, each Times Group business will organise teams that will practise Yoga Asanas of their choosing and submit a photo of themselves doing the Asanas. This was a little exhausting, but a lot of fun, and happily, our Dineout team won the tournament.

Looking Forward

One of the best things about Dineout is how much everyone, from my PM to the CPO, values ideas and iterations. The designs I worked on were updated on a regular basis, and an upgraded product will be launched shortly, which will undoubtedly make me proud.
This experience not only allowed me to obtain valuable experience, but it also allowed me to improve my skills by teaching me about B2B products, usability, marketing, quick service restaurant operations, and design for need.
I am confident that these five months will be extremely useful to my career, and I am looking forward to the next leg of my trip.