Design Internship in Cardiff

We’re looking for a User Centred Design (UCD) Intern to help build and develop PDR’s UCD capacity, supporting our commercial product design consultancy work. This is an excellent opportunity for a driven and talented product design graduate (or similar) with an interest in UCD, strong research and organisation skills, a working knowledge of digital prototyping tools such as Figma, Sketch or XD and who thrives in a diverse and creative environment.

Work will be focused on directly supporting live client projects for the development of new products and services. You’ll work with the UCD team to deliver research and commercial projects at PDR, while being supported by the wider in-house design consultancy team. As part of the internship, we also aim to give you exposure to adjacent disciplines such as industrial design and design engineering, where it supports the project and your development.

You’ll play a key role in:

• Supporting PDR’s UCD and design teams to deliver successful outputs for PDR's design consultancy operation.
• Helping plan and support research activities, including consumer insight, usability testing and in-context observation on live projects.
• Contributing to workshops, team meetings and ideation sessions, helping translate insights into clear product opportunities and concept directions.
• Creating and iterating digital prototypes for testing, using tools such as Figma.
• Supporting analysis and communication of findings, helping the team turn research into practical next steps for the project team and client.
• Adhering to ISO 9001 procedures within PDR, alongside other duties that may be reasonably assigned by the Senior Design Consultant or Product Design Manager.

What you’ll bring:

• A strong interest in user-centred design, with an understanding of how human behaviour shapes products and services.
• An organised and effective communicator who is comfortable taking initiative, working independently, and collaborating with others in a creative team.
• A curiosity to learn and develop, motivated to build your skills in research, design thinking, and digital prototyping within a user-focused environment.
• An understanding of user-centred design principles and basic user research methods, including interviews, usability testing, and observational studies.
• Strong communication, organisational, and interpersonal skills, with a proactive approach to learning and teamwork.
• A degree equivalent qualification in Product/Industrial Design, Usability Engineering, Interaction Design, Psychology or related subject.

We offer excellent benefits such as:

• Annual leave of 25 days, rising to 30 days after 1 years’ service, plus 12 bank holiday / concessionary days.
• Membership of the Local Government Pension Scheme with generous monthly contributions.
• Excellent family friendly policies – take a look on our Policy Hub page.
• Opportunities to learn and develop your skills with access to library and digital services facilities.
• Excellent sports and fitness facilities with subsidised membership.
• Free family access to our independent specialist wellbeing support provider, Health Assured.

How to apply:

For more information about the role please contact Iona Davis on IDavis@pdr-design.com, or feel free to contact Cerys Purdon, the Recruitment Advisor supporting this vacancy on CPurdon@cardiffmet.ac.uk. All applications must be submitted online. The person specification will be used as a tool for shortlisting; so please make sure you use this information when writing your application. You can find useful hints and tips about how to apply by visiting our Application Guidance page.