Meet Sneha

School: Graduate School of Design, Harvard University

Degree/Major: Master's in Design Studies

What was your role? With GIS moving to the cloud, my internship focused on finding a new and creative approach toward the design of web-based mapping applications. The key issue was addressing a consistent, enhanced user experience for mapping applications across different devices such as phones, tablets, laptops, and desktops.

Coolest thing about working at Esri? Esri is a melting pot of diverse professionals who are all highly passionate about making a real difference in the world through GIS technology.

Most important thing you learned during your internship? As a designer, the internship gave me an opportunity to work closely with developers, bridging the gap between conceptual ideas and final products. Through this process I honed my design and communication skills, but more importantly, I learned how to code (HTML5, CSS3) and to prototype my creative thinking.

Where is the last place you traveled to? I landed on the American West Coast to begin my internship straight from the British Isles. It was an interesting contrast between small, dense Scottish towns and sprawling Southern California cities. Here, the last place I visited was the Getty Center in Santa Monica, a highly recommended destination if you time it to avoid LA traffic.

Last song you downloaded? "Somebody That I Used to Know" by Gotye. It was a while back; I'm more of a radio fan!

Favorite way to spend a Saturday afternoon? Some of my best summer Saturday afternoons have been driving up to the San Bernardino Mountains and spending time along Mill Creek.