Interactive Explainers
Timeline
May - August 2026
Role
Visual & Product Design Intern
Team
1 Graphic Design Intern
1 Front-End Developer Intern
Tools
Claude Code
Figma
Overview
Making Quantum Technology Interactive
I designed an interactive explainer focused on “How a Quantum Chip Is Made,” breaking down the complex manufacturing process into a clear and engaging visual story. Using 3D Nighthawk chip renders, I explored how interactive elements, technical visuals, and concise information could guide users through each stage of the process while making the technology easier to understand.
Visual Process
Exploring the Visual Direction
I was drawn to forward-thinking design, especially when visualizing emerging hardware and technology. For this project, I explored technical linework, layered systems, and exploded 3D diagrams to create a futuristic yet approachable visual direction using the Nighthawk chip renders.
Visual Process
Iterating and Refining Designs
I built and iterated on the interactive experience using Claude Code, experimenting with prompts, layouts, interactions, and animations. Alongside development, I collaborated with the content writer to refine the copy and make each step clear and approachable.
Round 1 Explorations: Adapting to Possibilities with AI!
Round 2 Explorations: Polishing Layout
Round 3 Explorations: Nighthawk Chip Renders
Visual Process
Final Explainer
The final explainer includes a collapsible play-and-text bar, so you can hide everything but the visuals, along with a control to pause the rotation. Next and back buttons let you move smoothly between each step of the process.
For the hand-off, I worked with a Front-End Engineer Intern to develop a workflow that could repurpose the explainer structure for future hardware topics. Together, we created a flexible template that makes it easier to adapt the visual system, content, and interactions for new explainers.
Stay tuned for upcoming updates about the explainer!
Final Thoughts
Learnings
This project stands out as one of my favorite pieces from my IBM internship. It pushed me into new territory: working more on the product side, designing through prompting in Claude Code, and exploring a more technical form of design centered on hardware and physical products.
Turning something as abstract as a quantum chip into an interactive experience meant balancing technical accuracy with intuitive storytelling, and figuring out how to make dense concepts feel approachable without oversimplifying them. Collaborating closely with the product and content teams pushed me to think beyond visuals alone, considering how design, language, and functionality work together to shape understanding.
Between the new tools, the new medium, and the new way of working, this internship gave me some of the most rewarding creative growth I've experienced yet!