BeReal. logoBeReal. Externship via Extern
Christian Pena portrait

Senior Industrial Design student exploring product design and PM

I study Industrial Design at San Jose State and am learning product management, UX strategy, and growth through hands-on projects and a BeReal externship.

Work samples

Portfolio pieces include coursework and a BeReal product management externship that covered benchmarking, engagement analysis, and designing a growth-focused feature aligned to authenticity.

  • BeReal Product Management Externship
    BeReal Product Management Externship
    BeReal. logo

    BeReal. · ✅ Verified by Extern · ⏱️ In progress

    BeReal Product Management Externship

    Discover how product teams at social apps like BeReal design for authenticity while driving user growth. In this externship, you’ll explore what keeps users coming back— benchmarking competitors, analyzing engagement features, and designing your own growth-driven app feature. You’ll learn how to balance product innovation with BeReal’s unique mission of real, unfiltered connection. Perfect for those interested in product management, UX strategy, or social media innovation, this experience gives you a hands-on look at how product teams grow platforms without losing their core values.

    DesignUI/UXProduct Management

About me

I study Industrial Design at San Jose State and am learning product management, UX strategy, and growth through hands-on projects and a BeReal externship.

I am a senior Industrial Design student at San Jose State University working toward a bachelor's degree. I have limited professional experience and I'm exploring product design and product management through coursework and a BeReal product management externship focused on engagement, benchmarking, and feature design.

Externships

BeReal Product Management Externship

In progress

Experience

Product Management Extern - Extern x BeReal

Extern x BeReal · Sep 2026 – Present

Owner & Product Developer - Cena Kitchenware

Cena Kitchenware · Aug 2025 – Present

Sales Associate → Boxing Instructor - Rumble Boxing

Rumble Boxing · Apr 2023 – Present

Administrative Assistant - Vivid Graphics Solutions

Vivid Graphics Solutions · Dec 2022 – Aug 2025

Education

San Jose State University

B.A., Design Studies (Industrial Design) — Minor, Business Administration · Class of 2026

Skills

Industrial design fundamentalsProduct feature designUX strategyCompetitive benchmarkingEngagement analysisConcept sketching

✅ Verified by Extern · ⏱️ In progress

BeReal Product Management Externship

Discover how product teams at social apps like BeReal design for authenticity while driving user growth. In this externship, you’ll explore what keeps users coming back— benchmarking competitors, analyzing engagement features, and designing your own growth-driven app feature. You’ll learn how to balance product innovation with BeReal’s unique mission of real, unfiltered connection. Perfect for those interested in product management, UX strategy, or social media innovation, this experience gives you a hands-on look at how product teams grow platforms without losing their core values.

DesignUI/UXProduct Management

Overview

The work compared BeReal's engagement mechanics with competitor features and produced a feature analysis and a concept artifact. Deliverables included a benchmark of retention-driving features and a user journey map that defined five stages and recorded users' actions, thoughts, and emotions, highlighting anxiety at the content gate, urgency at re-notification, and moments of delight when sharing.

BeReal Product Management Externship

What I've accomplished

I produced a user journey map that defined five stages of the BeReal experience and recorded what users do, think, and feel at each stage, calling out anxiety at the content gate, urgency at re-notification, and moments of delight when sharing.

Project breakdown

I analyzed BeReal, defined five journey stages, and created a user journey map that recorded what users do, think, and feel at each stage. The map highlighted anxiety at the content gate and urgency at re-notification, plus moments of delight when sharing.

Google Sheets
Access

I documented BeReal features (post notification, view and engage, second post notification), described how each works, and explained how they drive retention and engagement (urgency, social viewing, repeat opens).

Google Docs
Access
View all work