UX designer Review

Firstly I conduct user experience research through sending out forms, conducting focus groups and interviews. I then wireframe and design solutions for user problems, then present to stakeholders my designs. Finally I hand over to developers and aid them with building my designs. These builds are then tested and the cycle is repeated.

I have learnt and developed many skills during work. I came into the role with limited design knowledge but I can now design end to end user experiences utilising principles I have learnt from colleagues and previous degrees. I have also developed professionally, cultivating relationships with colleagues and building communication al and presentation skills

I have had limited enjoyment on the program. Due to the perspectives of the ethics of my industry I have been on the receiving end of damaging remarks from lecturers, with complaints landing on deaf ears because of their position. Moreover my cohort has often questioned the quality of the lecturers, which is further infuriated by the fact that schools don’t talk so we are often taught the same thing.

I would say it is poorly structured. Despite being a design programme there has been one unit in the whole 4 years that looks at design principals, yet we are marked on design of portfolios. Moreover there is no communication between lecturers so they often teach us the same thing which is a waste of time.

I receive a lot of support from my employer. When work is extremely busy, my tickets get spread amongst the team if I feel I am burning out due to uni deadlines. Furthermore I can take the majority of Friday off for dedicated study time to help complete my studies.

From the uni I received limited support apart from the delivery of content. An exception is the group asked for some design content and the programme leader did an additional lesson because he was surprised we hadn’t been taught principals. My 121 with the skills coach often leads to irrelevant and nosey questions about my companies financial performance rather than aiding my learning

I would say somewhat. There is a lot of content that I have brought into my company such as UX metrics and surveying techniques. But there is also a lot of content that is just not relevant to the typical day to day requirements of a ux designer, such as psychological research and statistical analysis. The ethics year whilst interesting is also just not applicable to my every day

Yea there’s lots. I am a mental aid first aider, where we meet up quarterly and talk about how we can further promote mental health. I also take part in the football team every Wednesday, which is a 5 aside and a great way to talk to new colleagues. I also show my support to the walking club and women at tote group.

Yes

In my team I have been able to learn, developed and take ownerships of products. The speed in which I earns responsibilities surprised me but I’m proud to say that I have made a positive impact of the company. I hope that my time here will springboard me to be able to achieve my life goals

Working in a niche industry it is quite hard to get your head over the jargon and nuance of the business. However by showing an eagerness to learn you will be offered a unique opportunity to take on responsibility and showcase your skills. You will be rewarded with the satisfaction of seeing customers use and enjoy the product you designed