USW GAMES ENTERPRISE MASTER CHEY WEBB WEEK 2
This week felt a whole lot more stable than our first week! We got a fresh new build so we were able to start playing the story from the beginning which helped me a lot. It was confusing being dropped in the middle of stuff and hard to figure out what I was doing and what everyone else was doing too. Now we have a new build I feel like we can really start getting into the app. It’s a lot easier to understand when you start at the beginning!
We started the week with a Product Café session. These sessions are a chance for the team to get together and address any concerns or ideas they have about the app. I really enjoyed this one! Maybe because it feels really design orientated and that’s what I enjoy.
I was surprised with how involved fellow intern Dan was! He was bringing points and it was great to see the team responding to them really well! I suppose there’s this worry when you first start at a place right? How will they treat me? What will my job be, really? Maybe it’s just my anxiety, but maybe other people can relate. I was relieved and encouraged to see another intern being treated as part of the team already. Everyone has been very kind to us. The Product Café was so interesting. They have this whole Miro board with little sections for different things, and people on the team can leave suggestions and worries about specific areas of the app. Then members from all over the teams come together and talk about it. They decide what they’re going to do, if it needs to be addressed, how important it is, and they brainstorm ideas on how to implement/fix it! It’s the kind of problem solving that design is all about! I love it.
We also had our first Bug Triage session this week! I didn’t have anything to contribute really, it was just watching, but it’s good to see how the team operates and how bugs get dealt with. It was a very practical meeting, assigning tasks to people and checking on things. I can’t say it was super interesting personally? Some things are more essential than fun though, that’s just development and probably true for any job.
Last meeting was our check-in with the design team, to see how we’re getting on. This week has been really smooth. I’ve been able to log a few bugs and test out the app a bunch!
The thing that I’ve been adapting to is coming onto a project so late. I’ve only ever worked on games from inception, so it’s strange to be handed something almost done. I’m trying to find my place still. It’s far too late in development to start pitching ideas or anything like that (and I’m an intern so that’s not really my place anyway, I’m sure these folks know better than me). Bug testing is sort of like a support role, you’re there to help the others along. While I’m forming my own opinion of the app, it ultimately isn’t about my opinion, I’m just there to help. Does that sound self-centered? Well I guess I’m just trying to explain how it feels being pulled into an already formed team, which is something I came into the internship to learn! Nothing I’m experiencing is bad, it’s just new, so I’m having to work out what to do and how I fit as I go.
This week has definitely felt more structured and calm, I’m excited to see what comes next!