UX Upskill | Hyper Island
My UX journey at Hyper Island
We were advised to document our journey using Medium. A bit daunting, as I’m not a writer, but it’s good practice and a nice way to keep track of all the things we will learn. Hopefully it will also help me develop my writing skills.
It all started because of the ever looming and evolving pandemic. I knew I needed to find something to do that could keep me mentally sane through the coming winter and at the same time help me develop new skills. So this spring I frantically googled for options.
I knew about Hyper Island from way back, but as the vagabond i once were, I had dismissed it as too close to home. At that time, I would rather go study in Australia (the further away the better).
Anyway, I decided to find out what options they had now. That’s how I found the UX Designer Upskill track. At first I got very excited, but when I looked at the application process and realized I had to record a video of myself explaining how I would solve a problem in no more than one minute in English, I panicked and abandoned the whole idea. I hate being recorded and hearing the sound of my own voice, so it felt like an impossible task.
Almost a week went by, but I couldn't stop thinking about it. So I decided to try and record the video after all, what did I have to loose? If it turned out like a disaster I could just delete it and nobody would know.
I spent a lot of time trying to figure out what to say, then creating a script and timing myself. When I felt ready I started recording and that's when I almost abandoned the idea again. I had no facial expressions. It was creepy to watch (I looked like a robot), but I kept trying and trying and slowly it actually got better.
After I don't know how many takes, I managed to record a clip that was within one minute, where I didn't look completely insane and where I actually remembered the script. It was still not amazing, but it was much better than I could ever have imagined, so I decided to send it in with the rest of the application demands and leave the rest up to the universe. In retrospect I'm so happy I pushed myself despite panicking. It led to an interview and that in turn led to an offer.
Now I'm 4 weeks into the course and it’s really amazing. Incredible energy, great project manager and my fellow students are so energetic and positive, it’s crazy (in a good way).
This has probably been one of the best things I could have done for myself this year with the pandemic causing so much stress and isolation. Learning new things in such a great setting with so many interesting, funny and friendly people gives life so much more meaning (even if its all on zoom it feels like you are not alone, but part of a big community).
I’m really looking forward to the next 8 months!
