The Unconventional Journey
Hey there, I'm Addie! My journey to becoming a designer has been anything but typical. I began with a major in Japanese Studies during my bachelor's degree, always unsure of the career path I should take. During my studies, I explored various internships, trying to find my passion.
One day, while working at a marketing internship, I was tasked with designing a simple social media post. Although my creation wasn't up to par, I discovered a newfound excitement for design. This spark led me to embark on a self-taught journey into graphic design. To my delight, clients began returning, trusting me with more design projects.
This growing passion and experience landed me an in-house designer role at a snack company in Hong Kong. Today, I work remotely as an in-house graphic designer while furthering my studies at RMIT, determined to achieve my career goals in the design industry.
My journey into the UI/UX field began in an unexpected but exciting way. Some colleagues invited me to join a startup project focused on designing a web app. Initially, I was apprehensive due to my lack of knowledge in the field. However, recognizing the opportunity, I decided to take on the challenge.
To prepare, I enrolled in the Google online UX course, where I learned the basics of UX design. Following the course guidelines, I conducted user research, created personas, and developed empathy maps. I then moved on to wireframing and UI design. As I worked on the project, I felt a deep sense of satisfaction and excitement in providing users with an exceptional experience. Thinking from the users' perspective was meaningful, and watching the project come together piece by piece was incredibly rewarding.
This experience revealed to me that UI/UX could be my true passion. It sparked a desire to pursue more challenges and opportunities in the UI/UX industry, shaping my future career aspirations.