Product and UX designers, what was your career path?
What was your degree in? What was your career path to end up where you are now? Did you start out as an art director, graphic designer, web developer, etc.? How do you feel now that you're a product/UX designer? Are you living your dream, moderately happy, wishing you were doing something else? TC 235, YoE 10
I was working at a Sears in Chicago as an electronics and appliances salesman for a year before landing a short gig as a lead instructor for iD Tech in Santa Barbara, CA. After that finished (about a month of work), I had to make the decision to either go back home to Chicago or take a Greyhound bus 8 hours to SF with the money I saved at the iD Tech gig. I said fuck it, went to SF, found a shitty, tiny as hell month to month room for rent for $475 a month. I stayed there for two years, working on my online portfolio of 3D environment art and photography while working at a Sushi restaurant and a hair lice clinic to make ends meet. I was randomly called by an SF startup (15 people or so) to be their first UI / UX designer. I had zero UI or UX experience. They thought I could handle it though, judging from my portfolio. Had an interview with the CTO and CEO of the startup, they liked me, I took the job. I studied two weeks before my start date about everything UI and UX because I didnt know shit! Start day comes, and I see they've set up a Mac for me. I never used mac before. My desk is directly next to CTO's desked. I feel fucked. Turns out he was as much an idiot as I was regarding UX and UI design, so I faked it till I made it. I said yes to everything, took a chance, said yes, learned on the way. Been doing that for 7 years now. I'm very glad with my decisions!
And sorry, I forgot to post what everyone asks for here... TC: 240k, 7 YOE
That's a great story! How'd the startup end up?
Biology major went into consulting after graduation. Focused on UX and app development projects. Naturally pivoted into product. Love it and would like to stay in product for the foreseeable future.
I'm not sure what I want to do with my life. I am an SE Consultant, that stumbled into Product Design Consulting. Not much money at my level of design experience, but I'm working on interesting problems by combining technical know how with user problems.