The virtual world has assumed a prominent role in the rhythms of daily life. From mobile fitness trackers to social media apps, mass consumption of digital content has generated a need for customer-centric digital experiences. As a senior in the University of Michigan School of Information, Sophie Loesberg uses her creative talents, U-M education, and entrepreneurial acumen to explore this unique opportunity at the forefront of a digital revolution.
Sophie’s first introduction to the entrepreneurial community at the University of Michigan was through Digital Product Design (ENTR 390.012).
“I originally took Digital Product Design to learn more about user experience (UX), and I really enjoyed how the course encouraged creativity,” she said.
The course teaches the end-to-end process of digital product creation from discovering a digital product need, prototyping, and getting feedback to relentlessly improve it. Students from every school within the University bring their academic talents to entrepreneurship courses- creating an exciting melting pot of perspectives.
“Getting to meet people from such diverse backgrounds like business, technology, and art was very fulfilling,” she said. “All these unique talents helped create such a collaborative environment.”
Today, Sophie continues to actively engage with budding entrepreneurs in the classroom as an Instructional Aide (IA) for ENTR 390.
“I’ve been an IA for a year, and I plan to continue. It’s been so exciting to work with students from all across the university, and to help them explore the realm of entrepreneurship,” she said. “It’s great to help give them a peek at what the world of design is all about, and watch them create their own digital products.”
As an IA, Sophie shares her passions with a younger generation, encouraging them to find their place at the intersection of entrepreneurship and creativity.
“It feels great to be a senior and be able to give back to the community as well.”
Outside the classroom, Sophie’s dedication to entrepreneurship and user-centric design have culminated in her internship experiences. During the summer after her sophomore year, she was a Visual and UX Design intern at Desai Accelerator, located in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Startup accelerators support early companies through financial aid, talent sourcing, and leadership training.
With Desai, Sophie worked with five start-ups, and led projects ranging from product design research to web development. One of her most notable projects was conducting thorough sector research to strategically guide the online experience for Lillian Augusta, an innovative hair care company.
“One of the companies I worked with specialized in creating eco-friendly hair care products for black women, aiming to make the purchase experience intuitive and painless,” Sophie said. “Both founders came from science backgrounds, which combined with business and entrepreneurship as they developed their own formulas in a lab. They were a great team.”
During her time as a member of the Desai Cohort, she also worked to grow Yourcheck, an identity security company and Nochi Studios, a company specializing in animated video games. These diverse work experiences and her ability to thrive in a fast-paced start-up culture provided her the platform for her next career move: PwC.
Her role as an Experience Design intern at PwC was similar to her position at Desai, save for a significantly expanded scope. The PwC Experience Center specializes in combining Strategy, Technology, and Experience to design transformative change for businesses.
“Big companies would come to us with their business problems and we’d create digital solutions for them.”
Where Desai collaborated with young start-ups, PwC boasts thousands of clients, and proudly consults for several of the world’s largest companies. Sophie worked with an interdisciplinary team and to create innovative digital experiences to meet the custom needs of each client.
“I love the culture there, it really manifests every day. Even translated through a virtual internship format.”
After graduating from the University of Michigan in May 2022, Sophie will return to PwC as a full time Experience Design Associate. She brings her creative strengths, entrepreneurial mindset, and passion for innovation to her bright future ahead in the exciting world of professional services.