“Saying ‘Yes’ to Growth”
Introduction
I’m Prince, a product designer with a quirky blend of introversion, problem-solving prowess, and, of course, an engineering graduate from Tamil Nadu.
Challenges
Now, speaking of challenges, we’ve all been there. That moment when you should’ve said “no” but ended up saying “yes,” only to regret it later. But, my journey has been punctuated with moments where saying “yes” instead of “no” led to some amusing turning points. Well, stick around because it’s about to get interesting.
Opportunity
So, here’s the scoop. I’m part of the vibrant design community in Chennai, the Madrasters. This community is the heartbeat of creativity, and I’m proud to be part of it.
My spare time has been dedicated to volunteering within this community. As many designers would agree, our industry often revolves around rigid business requirements, leaving little room for wild experimentation. So, I harnessed this community as my playground for experimentation, learning, and growth.
Upon joining, I eagerly jumped into volunteering and contributing to various projects. However, my speaking skills were a work in progress, and I often found myself behind the scenes, observing and learning.
Struggles
So, as I was playing around with new design concepts and actively contributing to our community, my mentor and the Madrasters community founder, Jack Anto, approached me with a thrilling opportunity. He asked if I’d like to run a workshop, and I simply couldn’t turn it down -as the opportunity was exciting and aligned with my aspirations.
However, the reality was daunting. The idea of handling questions, managing a room full of enthusiastic participants, and taking charge of every workshop detail was overwhelming. On top of all, the communication challenge overshadowed my initial excitement.
This workshop was all about mastering the art of the design system. Over the course of the workshop, we delved into the basics of the design system: how to create an initial level, where, when, what, which, and how to use a design system. The content we covered is immensely important for the field and isn’t easily available for one to grasp through a simple YouTube video or user-generated content.
Importantly, this workshop was organized as a paid event for a specific reason. The fees generated from participants played a vital role in enhancing the resources available to the Madrasters community, thereby supporting its growth and long-term sustainability. The income generated from workshops of this caliber enables us to continue offering non-paid events, ensuring the design community has access to top-quality content at an affordable cost. Additionally, it’s important to note that this was a paid workshop, with tickets priced at approximately 1199 per participant. This added a layer of complexity to the task at hand, as we needed to not only manage the workshop but also ensure it provided substantial value to those investing in it.
To tackle this, I threw myself into some meticulous planning. I spent hours creating a comprehensive strategy and reached out to community experts for their insights. But, despite all my efforts, I soon realized that I had underestimated the timeline and the intricacies of the project.
As I juggled my daily responsibilities, it became increasingly clear that I needed to prioritize my efforts. With only one month remaining before the workshop, I faced a grim realization — I had not factored in the crucial timeline and promotion phase. Panic set in as we struggled to attract participants to the workshop.
Desperate to make this opportunity a success, we tried every avenue. We leveraged our network, reached out through WhatsApp, and collaborated with professional videographers to create compelling promotional content. It was a last-ditch effort that paid off, finally connecting with our target audience. The video message resonated with potential participants, and the word spread like wildfire.
In the end, it was this collective effort, born from a place of desperation, that saved the day. Participants came flooding in, and we reached individuals who genuinely needed the workshop. Despite the countless hurdles and uncertainties, we had successfully turned the tides in our favor.
Workshop Highlights
As we initiated the workshop, we welcomed our wonderful speakers, Ayyappan and Ganesh, for the ‘Art of Mastering Design Systems’ workshop. They kicked off the session with an engaging activity before delving into the core topics of design systems, addressing the questions of what, where, when, why, and how to create a design system. As we progressed, the session quickly evolved into an interactive experience, with participants actively engaging and numerous questions emerging. This allowed all participants to comfortably connect with the speakers and each other, creating a dynamic and engaging learning environment. After the workshop concluded, we treated everyone to delicious food and goodies, leaving everyone in high spirits. My personal favorite activity during the session was ‘Guess the Brand,’ where we had to identify brands from multiple website and app screenshots. This activity effectively demonstrated the importance of using design systems by highlighting how consistency in design elements contributes to brand recognition and user understanding. For updates and reviews, please visit the official Madrasters page at [Link to Official Instagram Stories]
Conclusion
I planned, I miscalculated, I fretted, but we kept going. We had setbacks, like not selling enough tickets, but the team rallied. We hustled and produced a killer website, worked with incredible developers, and launched a marketing blitz.
In the eleventh hour, the video content saved the day. And despite the last-minute jitters and uncertainties, we managed to bring 30 eager participants to the event.
Now, this isn’t just about conquering my fear; it’s about the lessons learned. This fortunate mistake of taking on a challenge head-on made me realize that running away from problems isn’t the way. We face them, learn, and grow, ultimately becoming the kind of people who can take on anything life throws our way.
Thanks to Madrasters and team who helped in all the struggles.
Thank you for joining me on this crazy ride.
-Prince L
