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Excerpt The transition from university graduate to design professional can be daunting. A strong portfolio is an essential piece, but what makes a strong portfolio? Design thinking can provide certain advantages in the workplace, what are they? How can you recognize the parts of your game that aren’t working and improve them? In this talk, we’ll discuss the attributes and skills a newly minted designer can use to find opportunities and build a successful career. Bio Zac Bedell graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Communication Design in 2005 He is currently manager of web application development at webtrends, tackling complex design problems involving business processes, big data, and emerging technologies. Zac has been shaping software through design for over seven years, as user experience designer, project manager, illustrator, usability researcher, writer, and innovator. He loves transforming complexity into intuitive interfaces. Previously he was user experience designer at Microsoft and Widemile, a content optimization technology startup purchased by webtrends in 2009.
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THEDESIGNGRADUATE’STOOLKIT Zac
Bedell
ZAC
UX DESIGNER WEB APPLICATION LEAD
UW GRAD 2005 VCD
TWO KIDS
HAPPY
@zbedell
PLACES
STUDENT
GRAD
CONTRACTOR
MICROSOFT
STARTUP
LEADER
TRANSITIONS
STUDENT
GRAD
CONTRACTOR
MICROSOFT
STARTUP
LEADER
STUDENT
ART TECHUX
1. Focus on an application of design you enjoy
Why is this valuable?
• Better design product• Motivating
• Infinitely interesting
STUDENT
GRAD
A CASE FOR CONTRACTING
– Steady employment with benefits
– Exposure to real business processes
– Possible to go full-time– Trial run of job and company
2. Look for and take opportunity
How do you find opportunity?• New situations
• University resources
Take it or leave it?• List pros and cons
STUDENT
GRAD
CONTRACTOR
STUDENT
GRAD
CONTRACTOR
ASPECTS OF SOFTWARE DESIGN– Storytelling– Illustration– Animation– Typography– Composition– Information
Architecture
• IxD• UX
YOUR PORTFOLIO
– Full of high quality design
– Finely crafted– Perfectly presented– Entirely considered
3. A strong portfoliohas stories to tell
Worried your portfolio is not strong yet?
• Trust the faculty• Feature the type of design or content you
enjoy• Portfolio reviews• It’s not everything
CONTRACTOR
MICROSOFT
ADDING TOOLS
Target a skillset
1. Observe2. Assist3. Contribute4. Implement
Repeat
4. Establish patterns for learning
How do I learn?
Assign yourself a design task:• Analyze your learning, identify steps
• Create a 10min preso• Teach how you learn to your roommate
STARTUP
STARTUP
5. Show value beyond your job description
How do I show value?• Contribute to your coworkers success, help
• Fight entitlement: you deserve what your earn• Be resourceful: don’t ask until you’ve looked
• Take action before asked• Be decisive: speech, posture, self presentation
• Take on extra projects
STARTUP
STARTUP
LEADER
6. Be ambitious
TRANSITIONS
INTERVIEW AMBITIOUSLY
Demonstrate
1. Extra energy & effort
2. Preparedness3. Attentiveness4. Follow-through5. Resilience
6. Be ambitious
Not feeling it?
• Set and achieve goals: write them down• Engage with those more experienced• Welcome mistakes: you can’t go wrong
STUDENT
GRAD
CONTRACTOR
MICROSOFT
STARTUP
LEADER
DESIGNER’S UNIQUE PERSPECTIVE
In software design…
• Spec/story• User• Research• Competition• Business drivers
• Feasibility• Other roles• Delivery
…and design the UX
DESIGN YOURSELF
You are the deliverable
– Who is your audience?
– What is your message?
– What are the best means to deliver?
7. The designer’s balcony
All work is the result of design, but we are a rare operators.
• Highly trained and skillful• Able to design oneself
• Design thinking has high business value
1. Focus on an application of design you enjoy2. Look for and take opportunity3. A strong portfolio has stories to tell4. Establish patterns for learning5. Show value beyond your job description6. Be ambitious7. The designer’s balcony
THE DESIGN GRADUATE’S TOOLKIT
THANKS Q&A
@zbedell
