From Graphic Design to User Experience: My Personal Story

Our devices are the first thing that we interact within the morning, and for most of us, it is the last thing we interact with before we go to sleep. If you think about it, we have more "skin to skin" contact with our devices than we have with anything or anyone else in our lives. Technological tools have changed our relationships and our experience as human beings. I wanted to expand my graphic design skills and specialize in Human-Computer Interaction and User Experience.

During my undergraduate studies in graphic design, I recognized the value of technology and its impact on the design world. As a graphic designer, I was taught to design pleasing and compelling visuals, always keeping in mind the product, service, or client for whom I was designing. However, when I surf the Internet, I find myself analyzing the design and functionality of websites and thinking about how I could improve them to be more efficient. I realized that even though my designs might be aesthetically beautiful, they may not be as useful as they could be. Also, I realized that I was designing for the product, service, or client and not thinking of the user's needs, and that was not helping me create effective and useful designs. At that moment, I knew that I had to change how I designed for technology.

I decided to pursue a master's degree in HCI/UX (human-computer interaction and user experience), which has allowed me to grow professionally and advance my opportunities by combining my knowledge and work at the intersection of design, technology, people, and information. While studying for this degree, I have learned to deeply understand and improve social experiences and conduct innovative research by understanding how people interact and engage via technology. I want to meet users' needs before they realize they have them and create such serviceable and intuitive designs that the average user does not even realize have been designed to perfection. Creating a career in user experience and human-computer interaction has put me at the cutting edge of digital design. Combining my design knowledge with technology has been an excellent stepping stone for me.