My First Experience Working in IP Design

Recently, I started a remote internship related to IP design and visual development in China. This has been a very meaningful experience for me because it allowed me to step outside the university environment and begin experiencing a more professional production workflow. Since I hope to work in the fields of IP design and animation in the future, this opportunity gave me a clearer understanding of the industry and the type of work I would like to pursue professionally.

During the internship, I participated in the development of original IP characters and visual concepts. Some of the projects involved creating stylised animal characters and exploring different visual directions for animation-oriented designs. Compared to university projects, I noticed that professional work requires much stronger consistency and communication. In school, projects are often driven by personal expression and experimentation, while in industry settings the work also needs to consider audience appeal, readability and production efficiency.

A story about an old magpie foreman and his young sparrow assistant.
One is tall, scruffy and laid-back, while the other is small, tidy and surprisingly hardworking.

This project was inspired by three cats from the company, which gradually evolved into the story of three prison-break cats.

Working remotely also taught me how important communication and self-management are in a professional environment. Since the team members were not physically working together, I needed to organise my schedule carefully, respond to feedback efficiently and communicate my ideas clearly through online discussions and presentations.

Overall, this internship helped me feel closer to the professional animation industry. It made me more confident about my future direction and strengthened my interest in IP development and stylised 2D animation. More importantly, it helped me understand that professional creative work is not only about artistic skill, but also about collaboration, adaptability and continuous learning.