My Path to becoming a UX Designer
One of the things I love about UX design is learning about how people found themselves in this career. This field draws an array of people from different backgrounds and interests. I’ve met people that started out in research, brand design, architecture and even classical piano. My path has also been windy and unconventional, here is a bit of a background on how I ended up in this program.
Ethnographer at Heart
I’ve always been fascinated by people and culture. I studied Spanish and Political Science in college and spent two years in Spain immersed in the language and culture. After finishing my degree, I completed an internship at the United Nations in New York City. I met ambassadors from around the world, attended security council meetings and ultimately decided that working at the UN or State Department wasn’t the best fit for me.
I went straight to Kenya and Nepal and spent nearly a year working with experts in international development. I learned a great deal about behavior change, the importance of community-led solutions and why understanding problems from a ‘user’ perspective is so critical. I witnessed many failed development projects where organizations had come in with good intentions only to find that their solutions were not adopted by the communities they intended to serve.
User-centered Design
I went on to spend several years with CHOICE Humanitarian, an organization working to end extreme poverty around the world. My work with CHOICE exposed me to the power of the design thinking process and how it can be applied to complex challenges like eliminating extreme poverty.
While failed development projects taught me the importance of empathy and working with the community, I also met a lot of people prototyping solutions to global challenges with success. From biogas digesters to water filters, there is a great need for innovative solutions to problems facing our global community.
CU Boulder MA in Strategic Communication Design
I was immediately intrigued when I started learning about UX design. There are so many different tracks one can explore, it seemed like a career path that would be both engaging and challenging. I did a lot of research on formal UX design programs and eventually ended up at BDW in Boulder. One of the things I love most about this program is the emphasis on design for social innovation. I’ve been able to bring my passion for social impact while expanding my skills in so many other areas.
With a background in language, political science and international development I have found my way into a field I love. I can’t wait to continue writing the narrative of working as a UX designer.
