Every year we host our Designership Open House to educate prospective applicants about Bridgeable and the Designership. We held this year’s Open House on Wednesday, January 9. Our office was packed!

The 2018 Designership team gave a presentation about their project. This was followed by insider tips for a knockout application, a Q & A session, and mingling with Bridgeable team members.

If you’re interested in applying for the Designership but weren’t able to attend the Open House, read on. 

The Designership 

The Designership benefits Bridgeable and its interns as well as the project client and the larger community:

• Client: Participating in the Designership is an opportunity for a client to solve a unique organizational challenge that requires an innovative approach.
• Community: The Designership benefits the larger community by creating better, more human experiences.
• Bridgeable: The Designership is a chance for us to test new capabilities and approaches. It’s also a great opportunity to promote the value of our work to a wider audience.
• Interns: Designership interns receive hands-on training and get to work on a meaningful end-to-end design project with real social impact—learning new skills and gaining practical experience while being paid.

Previous Designership projects

To learn about our past Designership projects, check out these case studies:

2018—SE Health: Reimagining the home care experience for older adults—a vital service facing growing demand, funding constraints, and increasingly complex client needs

2017—Shared Mobility: Developing shared mobility service concepts effective in converting single-occupancy drivers to transit customers among suburban commuters in the GTHA

2016—Heart & Stroke Foundation: Designing the successful launch of an innovative national hypertension prevention program

2015—MaRS: Demonstrating to government and potential funders the benefits of giving mothers control over their children’s electronic medical record

Application tips

We are typically inundated with applications for the Designership. Please keep these tips in mind to make sure your application is noticed! Here are some ways for you to stand out:

Use the resources available to you to understand Bridgeable.
This includes our website and Twitter feed.

Follow the instructions!
This should go without saying, but please follow the application instructions. Applications that do not include all the required elements will not be considered.

Double-check all the details.
Proofread. Proofread again. If you can, find an editor you trust . . . or at least spend some time away from the process and return to review your application with fresh eyes. A well-edited application will speak volumes about the polish and attention to detail you would bring to client work.  

Cover letter
Don’t send us a boilerplate letter! Write it just for us. To get our attention, think about what you can’t convey elsewhere. Use this space to share insights that may not neatly fit into the rest of your resume. Show your personality. Tell us why you’re passionate about human-centred design. And let us know why you think you’d be a great fit for Bridgeable and the Designership. In your cover letter, specify which role you’re applying for.

Mission statement
Demonstrate your confidence. Share your approach in one powerful, concise statement. And remember: short and coherent is better than long and disjointed. A mission statement is not required for the Project Journalist application.

Resume
Describe your relevant experience and your applicable skills. Giving us insight into who you are as a person helps set you apart from the pack!

Portfolio
Demonstrate your capabilities. Create good narratives, and be sure to include context. Show us your process. A picture is worth ten thousand words!

Portfolio DOs and DON’Ts:

DO

• Include a slide deck from a school project/client pitch.
• Include a writing sample.
• An overview of qualitative and/or quantitative study you have participated in.
• Think about including a story of a world adventure you’ve had.

DON’T

• Include a lonely photo with no context.
• Include your entire thesis. (The abstract will do.)
• Include a group project without explaining your role on the project.

Final check

Submit all pieces as one PDF, and don’t forget that maximum file size is 10 MB.* Follow our defined naming convention. Submit by the stated deadline!

Note: The 2020 Designership Open House takes place Thursday, January 16. Reserve your seat now!