Would love to hear your thoughts!
Snapchat?
I’d definitely consider Uber. You learn a lot fast and are surrounded by people who really love their craft and are willing to help you grow.
FYI Uber pays shit for their designers.
I say FB not because the products or the problems itself is interesting, but as new grad, you have the opportunity to engage with so many talented designers, and an world-class design team. Get yourself in and soak up in the processes, the problems, the people, and the place. Learn as much as you can and put a stamp on what you’ve shipped while you are there. After 2-3, 5 years, you will be able to pick which company you want to work for. Trust me.
IBM Design... but not for the long haul. For a such a gigantic company they do a great job of giving designers room for creative expression. You’ll learn a lot about design from peers and mentors ... the org and frustrations with management will eventually push you away. I’ve grown a lot in the last 2.5 years but I’m sensing that it’s about time to move on.
I’d also suggest Etsy. They have fantastic UX/UI design and seem to beautifully merge design and development. If you’re a ‘maker’ too you’ll love their craft studio.
You already at it girl
I think it probably depends more on the team than the actual company. A lot of people bash on IBM, but as a new grad designer I’ve had a blast so far. I personally work at a small branch of IBM that focuses on pushing out proof of concepts for clients who want to utilize IBM technology. I get to work on multiple different projects from nearly every industry sector, almost like an agency, and my skills over the last year have increased dramatically. My team focuses a bit less on traditional IBM design thinking than it does building quality prototypes and POCs, but I still get all the benefits of learning design thinking methodologies when working on longer term projects.
Nextdoor. Small team. Big impact. Interesting work. Lots of opportunity.
next door to me is just a factory, I walk by it everyday, still not sure what goes on inside
Aren't you curious? Think big about that! The name alone implies all sorts of things about being a neighbor and either establishing or strengthening a local community. There's probably tons of great work to be done there.