KCAD Innovation Hub

The KCAD Innovation Hub is working with an international food brand to design and prototype primary (main product package) and secondary (on-shelf/merchandising) packaging concepts for a new product line. The KCAD Innovation Hub team of faculty and student interns will research product use/context and develop several concepts through brainstorming, ideation, refinement, and prototyping. Visual renderings and illustrations of the final concept will be created to help illustrate the proposed concepts. Final concept directions will be prototyped and presented to the project sponsor as part of a final presentation with their leadership team. All project activities and deliverables will be executed in collaboration with the project sponsor and include weekly design reviews with the project team where all stakeholders can provide input and feedback.

The project will require two student interns with a background in packaging design, product design, or graphic design. The interdisciplinary team will work under the mentorship of the faculty leading the project from the KCAD Product Design and KCAD Graphic Design programs. The student interns will work in a hybridized work flow that will include some in-person meetings, remote work, and prototyping work in various FSU labs and shops.

This is a short-term position that will coincide with a project timeline, starting the week of September 29, 2024 and ending by January 18, 2025. Students will have two weeks off for finals prep and finals week (November 24 – December 7, 2024), as well as three weeks three weeks off for the holiday break (December 22, 2024 – January 11, 2025). Student interns will work an average of 11 hours per week for 10 weeks of project activity, not to exceed a total of 110 hours per student.

• Students applying for the positions should be at least junior status entering the Fall 2024 semester.
• Students applying should have a mix of skills that include some of the following: design research (secondary lit review, market research, etc.), graphic illustration (Illustrator, Photoshop, etc.), brand design, packaging design, design concept sketching (digital or analog), 3D modeling (Solidworks, Rhino 3D, Blender, etc.), 3D rendering (Keyshot, Blender, etc.), and rapid prototyping (3D printing, laser cutting, CNC milling, etc.).
• Students should have strong visual communication skills (analog or digital sketching, 3D images with notes, etc.)
• Students should have experience documenting design project deliverables in a project workbook, report, and/or presentation.
• Students should have strong skills in communication, team work, collaboration, and creativity.
• As an individual who is responsible for driving on behalf of the University, it is required that Human Resources obtain and review a motor vehicle report to determine your eligibility to drive for the University.  You will be asked to complete an authorization form for obtaining a motor vehicle report.

• Student interns will apply many of the skills, capabilities, and processes learned through their coursework at a level consistent with what is expected and practiced in a professional internship.
• Student interns will participate in weekly, in-person or virtual design reviews between the project team and the sponsor.
• Student interns will meet weekly, in-person or virtually, with the faculty leads to conduct critiques and gather feedback on project deliverables on a weekly basis.
• Student interns will communicate with the project team to coordinate work on project deliverables and collaborate with the faculty leads to develop and submit all project deliverables.
• Student interns will have the ability to self-manage work done remotely for the project.
• Student interns will track their time and submit a weekly timecard to the project coordinator.

Please include a letter of interest that indicates which academic program you are studying at FSU/KCAD, any relevant experiences, why you are interested in the position, which skills/abilities you have that will make you a good candidate for the project team, and how this project will help support your education. Please combine your letter of interest and resume in one PDF document.

Please include three to five work samples that demonstrate the specific skills/abilities you will utilize on the project. Work samples can include projects, presentations, reports, documentation, etc. you created for your courses (you can submit the same material you submitted for the course).  Please combine all work samples in one PDF document.