THE FINAL WEEK

 

The Last Week… or Maybe Not?

Week 12—technically the “last” week of my internship at Smoothound, but honestly, it didn’t feel like the end at all. Maybe because things were still buzzing in the office, or maybe because my boss casually hinted to offer me a PPO. We haven’t gotten around to discussing the money part yet—but in my head, I already feel like I’ve become a small part of this team.

Work didn’t slow down either. In fact, one of my favorite parts—learning and exploring Shopify—took center stage. There’s just something about cracking through a problem and watching it reflect on a live website that’s super satisfying. But of course, not everything made sense right away. So, in true intern spirit, I called up a friend, set up a Google Meet, and had a 1.5-hour deep-dive session with her brother, who patiently answered all my questions and even gave me some valuable feedback. It was one of those unexpectedly wholesome moments of learning that I’ll always remember.

Somewhere in between meetings and coding and editing, our new design samples arrived. And oh my god—they looked so good! Like seeing your rough sketches take physical shape. There were a few minor tweaks needed, but even those became learning moments. We understood the technicalities, fixed the designs, and now we’re just excitedly waiting for the production batch to roll in. The campaign ideas are already brewing!

Also, one quick update—social media took a tiny backseat this week. Not because we forgot it, but because the website revamp and other last-minute tasks needed urgent attention. It was a mutual team decision, and sometimes, taking a step back helps us launch forward with even more clarity and energy. We’ll be back stronger and more frequently than ever before.

As I wrap up these 12 weeks, here’s a little list of all the things I’ve learned—not just as a designer, but as a person navigating a fast-paced work environment:

1. Patience
From waiting for design approvals to understanding that not all tasks will go as planned, patience has been my biggest teacher. Whether it was facing rejections or slow laptop crashes, I learned to pause, breathe, and keep going.

2. No Pressure
There’s a calm in the chaos when your team has your back. At Smoothound, even during hectic days, the vibe remained chill. There was trust and room to learn, which made handling big responsibilities feel manageable.

3. Rejections and Approvals Go Hand in Hand
For every idea that got a “yes,” there were two that got a “no.” And that’s okay. I learned to detach my ego and understand that feedback is part of the process. Rejections actually pushed me to be better.

4. Shopify
From zero to (almost) hero, I’ve gained hands-on experience on the platform—from creating SKUs and collections to editing live product pages and tweaking design flows. This was one of my most technical learnings, and I loved every bit of it.

5. Campaigns and Meta Ads
I got the chance to be part of last-minute campaign rushes, especially during festive offers and sports events. Brainstorming, designing, executing, and seeing the impact of an ad in real-time was exhilarating.

6. Working at a Startup
It’s unpredictable. It’s exciting. It’s wild. But it also gave me more ownership and visibility than any structured corporate setup could’ve. Every day was different, and I never felt like “just an intern.”

7. Building Good Relations
From our team lunches to Snapchat filters on a slow day, the work culture here is full of warmth and laughter. I’ve built great rapport with my colleagues, which made work even more enjoyable.

8. Color Correction, Multitasking & Wearing Many Hats
Whether it was adjusting photos to match the real sock colors, handling customer queries, managing inventory, or ideating new designs—this internship taught me how to juggle multiple roles without losing my head.

If there’s one word I’d use to sum up this journey, it’s wholesome. I walked in as a designer curious about socks. I’m walking out as someone who understands products, people, and processes a whole lot better.

Or maybe I’m not walking out yet. Let’s see where this goes. :) Until next time sometime, CHEERS :))