me, myself, and I

I want to begin by saying that I leap into things — perhaps recklessly so. When I found the program at GA, less than two weeks before it began, I knew it was the space for me. After attending the sample session, I was convinced there was no better place for me.

I am a fresh graduate of Parsons School of Design with a degree in fashion design in May.

…it didn’t take long for me to realize “fashion” was not the right space for me. I don’t know if it’s the undying belief that I can follow my bliss and still be able to make a living, but I knew I needed to make a career pivot almost immediately.

I found that with fashion, I was only contributing the a wasteful world. I was doing to help anyone and this started to eat at me going to my desk day after day. At the end of the day, even if I don’t like what I am doing, I would like to say that I at least did something good for someone or the world.

During my senior year at Parsons, I focused on ,making clothes for hospital patients, with a focus on cancer patients. The whole experience turned out to be less fashion design, and more experiment in product design and working with users. I absolutely loved my thesis, working with people, and the research it required. I didn’t know it at the time, but so much of what I was doing was UX based.

It wasn’t until many months later when I began job hunting that I realized the real space I wanted to be in was UX design, which leads me to the first day of class..

To get a better idea of my design aesthetic and thesis, please visit my website: http://www.erinpienta.com/