Co-op, Design Researcher

Fidelity Investments•Boston, MA

10d•$20 - $32

About The Position

The company Fidelity Center for Applied Technology (FCAT) drives innovation to advance Fidelity’s market leadership. FCAT teams assess, test, and scale concepts and ideas involving blockchain, artificial intelligence, fintech, quantum computing, and emerging technologies to enhance customer experiences and keep Fidelity at the forefront of the financial services industry. Celebrating 25 years of innovation, FCAT focuses on these cutting-edge technologies and sociocultural trends to shape the future of financial services. As a co-op student, you will collaborate with FCAT’s design team, leveraging speculative design philosophies, user research methodologies, and design thinking to envision and create future experiences. Our speculative design practice combines creativity, strategy, and rigorous research to craft products, spaces, and vivid storytelling, taking a holistic approach to design innovation. We challenge conventional problem-solving by adopting fresh perspectives to envision bold alternatives—think sci-fi meets financial investing.

Requirements

Interest in the future of digital experiences
Interested in emerging technologies (e.g. VR, Generative and Agentic AI)
Comfortable with ambiguity, inquisitive and eager to learn
Problem-solving skills, ability to think critically about design challenges, conceptualize and communicate ideas effectively
Passionate about human-centric approach in all actions and decisions
Able to work collaboratively within a team environment
Strong inter-personal and communication skills
Excellent presentation and facilitation skills

Nice To Haves

Comfortable with software including but not limited to Adobe Creative Suite and Figma
Participation in extracurricular clubs such as Scout, Sandbox, etc.
One previous co-op experience

Responsibilities

Collaborate with FCAT’s design team, leveraging speculative design philosophies, user research methodologies, and design thinking to envision and create future experiences.
Work alongside and support experienced design team members from research and ideation to sketching and rapid prototyping.
Assist in creating multimodal outputs while developing a full story arc.
Conduct market research with customers and non-customers to build and specify market requirements for current and future products.
Analyze consumer trends and customer feedback to add new product ideas and themes into the pipeline.
Conduct competitive analysis to ensure the team is on top of the dynamic landscape.
Work with others across the firm to collaboratively learn more about Fidelity.
Use quantitative research manipulated to create qualitative results, i.e., writing screeners and surveys using remote testing for researching early-stage prototypes.
Identify hidden customer segments and latent customer needs.
Communicate clearly and effectively.
Use research insights to create an emotional connection with customers.