What were you doing before coming to General Assembly?

Prior to General Assembly, I worked at Amazon for three years as an Information Architect, and did similar work at REI prior to Amazon. Most would consider Information Architecture as well within the realm of UX Design, and it is, but I have a quantitative background and the vast majority of my work as an Information Architect has played to my strengths in data analysis, business strategy, and user research.

What motivated you to enroll in the UX Design course?

I finished my Master’s Degree in Information Management in 2014, and I knew I wanted to make a career change at that point. I did a bit of a “career inventory” and made a list of the things I enjoyed about my job, the things I wanted in my next job, and started thinking about what it would take to get from point A to B.

I really enjoy research and analysis, and was introduced to the field of Human-Computer Interaction while in grad school. I started looking into PhD programs, but felt that my desire to work with a creative, collaborative team may not be met in that environment. I considered UX Design, but never felt as if I were “creative” enough to land a UX job. Most UX positions also require a portfolio, which I did not have.

Around this same time, I ended up on General Assembly’s mailing list, and read about their UX Design Immersive course. It was almost like a light bulb turned on in my brain—it seemed like the perfect opportunity to refine and enhance my skillset as a UX Designer, build my confidence, and come out of the program with a portfolio and a cohort of new friends and mentors. After speaking with GA’s UXDI admissions producer, the course instructors, and prior students, I had no doubt that this was the right move for me to make.

Can you tell us about your final project?

I’m working with Navicet, a strategic design consultancy based in Kirkland, WA. Navicet makes a tool called a Kiwi Dial that facilitates the measurement of team health, with the aim of building awareness of and improving employee engagement. To date, Kiwi Dials have only existed in a physical format that a team would interact within a co-located workspace. Two of my classmates and I are working hard to design and prototype the next evolution of Kiwi Dials based on the comprehensive user research we’ve completed over the past few weeks. Keep an eye out!

What is the most surprising thing you learned about being a UX Designer during this course?

This may seem obvious, but it struck a chord with me when our instructors introduced the concept in class: Dysfunction in an experience or interface is usually representative of dysfunction in the team that created it. Being a successful UX Designer is contingent upon being a productive member of a collaborative team. Effective communication and empathy start and end with the user, but need to be practiced with your teammates in between.

What are three tips you can share for people looking to make a career change?

1. Know what you’re looking for (and what you aren’t)—this will save you a lot of time!
2. Treat every conversation as a learning experience. People love talking about themselves, and it’s easy to draw corollaries between the lessons they’ve learned and apply them to your own pursuits.
3. Start as soon as you can. You won’t regret it.

What have you learned about yourself over the duration of your classes with GA?

I’ve learned a lot about “aha” moments (the point in time when you realize that you know exactly how to solve a puzzle), and how important they are to me.

UX Design is full of puzzles. There are many constraints, and many people who are willing to tell you about their puzzles and why they need to be solved. Those people get me excited. And then I get to create something for them. And watch it work. And measure it. And do it all over again. It’s exciting. It’s been a long time since I’ve been this excited about work.

In short, I’ve learned that I live for “aha” moments, and that my future will be filled with them. A million thanks, GA. ­­­­­­­­­