Sounds like you need a UI Kit which contains all of the UI element that the project requires, that way the developers just refer to that and pick out which bits you need. You shouldn't need to mock up every single change, it doesn't make any sense.

Mostly no, however it does depend on the project who's end client it is. Ideally it should be a collaborative back and forth kind of workflow with a developer. Since you're a student and you mention you're earning ok coin I wouldn't stress too much about it yet. Think of it as practice and do a good job. Focus your attention on your own projects and school until you get more of your own clients.

Fellow intern here!

I feel the same way sometimes, and it might just depend on the company.

I don't mind doing production work either, nor do I feel the need to always give my input on the product direction. However, I do wish I would get more exposure to design strategy and the entire process rather than just receiving the end of it. I would like to understand why a product or feature is being built—the research, planning, and rational behind all of it.

You should bring it up with them. They might be open to giving you more shadowing opportunities and allow you to partake in some of the decision-making.

I usually just ask a lot of questions, which allows me to understand their process and sometimes even slip in a bit of my input. Specially, I ask "why?" and compare their reasoning with the way I would have approach the problem or design-decision. If I feel I have a more valid point, I respectfully try to point it out. Rather than just blurting it out, I use questions: "Would it make sense to do it this way? Is it possible to do it this way?"

Are you getting mentorship? If you feel you aren't learning, your internship is as good as them exploiting you for your cheap labor. Though, money is cool too. It's also something for your resume.

This is definitely not the best way to make usable digital products. At the very least you'll know what questions to ask about the design process the next time you interview somewhere.

To answer you question, no. That's not how I work. I've had to work in those conditions, but it's been my experience that good design work comes before of development, not after. It's usually been a lot smoother after reordering the process.

Are there any other designers at your company? If not, which is my guess, they probably don't know how to work with you. So they're putting you off until the very end as a "clean up" step.

After 4 years of working for different companies, I have found one thing to be true: If you feel like you or the company is wasting time on not doing the greatest work you could be doing, you are right.

Design is figuring out how stuff works best. They want a colorpicker. These are two completely different things.

Money is never a factor in doing the right thing. You don't kill for money, so don't do bad work for money. Be driven by values, the money will follow.

Everyone that tells you to take the money and accept the fact that you're "just the intern" should go and be ashamed of trying to keep you "small". Of course, be humble, even if you're not an intern. But a good idea is a good idea, no matter if you're Jonathan Ive or the cleaning guy.

Good luck!

This is not always the case. It sounds like you've ended up at not a great company or team. Some companies want designers to work this way, some will give designers a lot of freedom. The key is to figure out which type of company you're joining. Since you're at an internship, I wouldn't let it bother you too much and just learn next time to research the work environment carefully.

Also, continue to draft your different ideas! You can't let a bad job get in the way of your career. And you can't always wait for permission from the people who tell you not to do something. Working through different ideas is crucial for a designer and even if the engineer doesn't end up using it, you've hopefully gained more experience doing the design.