Product Design Intern - Summer 2026

The Product Design team at Pixar Animation Studios closely collaborates with Engineers, Artists, and other stakeholders to develop the studio’s in-house proprietary software used to bring our films to life. We take on some of the most complex workflows and break them down into simple, elegant solutions for users within our Studio. Employing strong problem-solving and analytical abilities, the ideal intern will need to effectively articulate design rationale visually, orally, and in writing. Critical to success will be the ability to build relationships with technical and non-technical users to understand their needs. Through independent analysis and judgment, the Product Design Intern will deliver relevant solutions leveraging various user research methodologies, design tools, and existing and experimental prototyping techniques.

 

Responsibilities:

• Explore and experiment with AI tools for interactive prototyping as part of the design process as well as development process

• Work with engineering teams across the full product development lifecycle: from early discovery phases and user research to software implementation and testing

• Craft experiences and interfaces: from workflow diagrams to prototypes for artist impact

• Participate in or lead user research sessions

• Document experiments, research and user workflows 

Qualifications:

• Ability to ideate and test design concepts and prototypes

• Ability to collaborate with team members across different disciplines, including directly interfacing with users & stakeholders to understand requirements

• Excellent communication skills, teamwork, and problem-solving skills

• Strong documentation skills

• Experience with interface and prototyping tools such as Figma or Sketch

Bonus Skills:

• Experience with business to business (B2B) or enterprise software design

• Experience with building interactive prototypes or using programming languages 

• Interest in animation, film, or games

Eligibility:

• Minimally a junior in college working towards a degree or certificate in Product Design, UX Design, Human–Computer Interaction, Visual Communications, Interaction Design, or a related field

• Recent graduates who are within the first year after graduation are eligible to apply

• You already possess the legal right to work in the United States

• This is a full-time position. You must be available to work on-site Mon 6.1.26 - Fri 8.21.26

Visa Sponsorship:

• Unfortunately, we are not able to sponsor student / intern visas at this time

Submission Process and Application Materials (Please Read Carefully):

• Portfolio including case studies of relevant work (link or pdf) 

• Attach a single PDF containing your resume and short personal statement (200 words or less) explaining your interest in working in software design and development at Pixar. 

• Due to the high volume of submissions, we are not able to provide feedback nor are we able to respond to requests for application status. You will be notified when there is an update on your application.

• In submitting your application, you are agreeing to the terms of our Submission Release Form. Without this, we are unable to consider your application.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Sunday, February 1, 2026

 

The pay rate for this internship in Emeryville is $41.40 per hour.