How I Built My Career from Intern to Lead Designer
In 2018, Bryan Bitas was a Design Intern at Disney Consumer Products (DCP) Philippines, with one goal in mind: to grow his career in design at Disney. Today, he serves as a Lead Product Designer for DCP Asia Pacific. It’s safe to say he accomplished his goal!
In his current role, Bryan actively collaborates across APAC markets to help licensees design their products and guide them through the approval processes, ensuring their designs meet Disney standards. From Lightning McQueen Sneakers to Mickey Mouse Watches, Bryan loves seeing people enjoy products he’s helped design.
Bryan has gained a wealth of knowledge on his way from intern to lead designer. So, if you’re looking to grow in your career as a designer at Disney, listen up! Here are five tips from Bryan to help you on your journey.
#1 Make the Magic Feel Real
“During my internship, a skill that I had to hone was understanding how to make the brand feel tangible — making the magic feel real. Making magic tangible through everyday products ensures that people from all walks of life can enjoy them. This is how I design objects that keep the magic alive for guests wherever they are. Continuously learning new ways to make the magic tangible.”
#2 Have a Heart for Excellent Service
“I think of myself as JARVIS; our guests are the Avengers. I am R2-D2; our guests are Luke Skywalker. They are the heroes in their stories that we help write with them, and I serve them. But make no mistake, an Iron Man suit doesn’t even power up without JARVIS, and Obi-Wan never learns that he’s Leia’s only hope without R2.”
#3 Have a High-Impact Humility Mindset
“Having a mentality of high-impact humility makes it easier to imagine that we are building a magical world with every little product release and to do so with a spirit of joy. I don’t get where I am if I sat around settling on just resizing assets as an intern. I hoped to make an impact through service, and I believe that in my own small way, I’ve been able to do that so far.
#4 Challenge Yourself
“Share your concepts. Challenge yourself to think from a more immersive perspective. Stepping up to fill in a need where I see it, unafraid of the challenge, continues to be a valuable driver for my perspective as a lead designer today.”
#5 Passion Guides Your Purpose
“Having dreamed of being a Marvel Comics cover artist for much of my young adulthood, creating collectible statues with Legendary Beast and XM Studios based on those same comics has been surreal. And now, as a soon-to-be-dad of a baby boy, visualizing all the fun things that he gets to enjoy, in his infancy, childhood, and later as a young man, that I helped design has been a wonderful motivator.”
Ready to take the next step in your Disney career?
Take Bryan’s advice and accept the challenge. Explore opportunities in Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia and Vietnam on DisneyCareers.com.
