This time last year, I made the decision that I would go to graduate school. For the most part, I was looking into general design degree programs. But when the opportunity came up to apply to IXDMA, CU’s interaction design master’s program, I decided to go for it. As my first semester comes to an end, I’m definitely glad that I chose to go this route. Here are some of the reasons I’m enjoying being immersed in the UX design field:
It’s designing for people
One of the biggest questions is always: who are you designing for? We’ve been practicing human-centered design and finding solutions with the user in mind and responding to their needs based on real problems. I really like thinking about and talking to people about what makes them tick and knowing how they work. The best part of this design process is prototyping and actually being able to share your ideas and solutions with the people you are designing for and see their reactions.
It’s not just creative, but it’s analytical too
What draws me to the user experience discipline is that it embraces both the analytical side and the creative side of design. It employs research that informs strategy and design solutions, which is also something that I loved about my undergraduate program in interior design (shout out to DEA). It’s about creating the opportunity for better experiences for people by understanding their problems, needs and behaviors, and developing solutions that are far more purposeful beyond just looking good. In addition, we learn to identify what’s working or isn’t working and determine how to make changes.
It deals with a systems view
I have a deep curiosity and interest in how things work and fit together. UX design considers the macro level view and how all of the individual elements that comprise of a system interact with each other. We have to think about how a design functions in reality and how it all lives together in the world.
I have found that for me, the most meaningful design solutions are the ones that encompass all of the points above and are able to answer the questions of who I’m designing for, why I’m designing it, and how the design works. I went into the program with the expectation that I would come out as a UX Designer working on digital products. I’ve since come to the realization that I don’t have to be limited to designing for just the web, desktop, or mobile — user experience design is an incredibly multifaceted field. The opportunities are open, with cross-disciplinary skills that I can take anywhere, as long as I always design with intention.
