Internship at ACO Studio

In 2024, I had the opportunity to do an internship at ACO Studio, a company that creates digital products and applications. My internship mentor, Vadim, guided me as I joined a project for Antistatic, a 3D printing and design company in Antwerp.

The project was to create a workflow app that helps track 3D printing projects from start to finish. Each project moves through five stages: Received, Draft, Prototype, Ready, and Finished. Employees use tablet kiosks to update projects in each stage. The app works like a Kanban board but for 3D printing projects.

When I joined, a proof of concept was already made. I started helping with both design and development. This was my first real experience with product development, and it was exciting to see how an idea becomes a real product.

During the internship, I learned and did a lot of things:

• Talking with clients – sitting with the Antistatic team to understand their needs and discuss ideas
• Designing UI/UX – making interface designs in Figma and improving them based on feedback
• Development – writing code, styling, and learning to accept and apply constructive feedback

One important lesson I learned was that small changes can make a big difference. Even little design improvements can help employees use the app more easily. I also learned how important it is to work together and communicate both with colleagues and clients.

The final app lets users:

• See all projects clearly on a board
• Track and update the progress of each project
• its used on tablets, phones, and computers

This internship was more than just coding or designing. It taught me how a real product is built, how teams solve problems, and how to turn ideas into something useful. I became more confident, learned to think critically, and got a better understanding of product development.

Overall, this internship was a very rewarding experience. I learned a lot and discovered how much I enjoy creating digital products and solving problems.