Skip to content
Design School & work series
Design School & Work series
Script: Things I wish I have learned in Design School
Script: Closing the gap
Script: Future-proofing UX education: Balancing Technology and Responsibility
More
Share
Explore

icon picker
Script: Things I wish I have learned in Design School

Emilie Mazurek Senior UX/UI Designer at VEERUM https://www.linkedin.com/in/emilie-mazurek/
Martha Boulianne Product Design Manager at Sonatype https://www.linkedin.com/in/boulianne/
Rebecca Harper Information Architecture Strategy Lead at TELUS Digital https://www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccajharper/
Julieth Fajardo Senior Product Designer at Inkblot Therapy & Community Builder https://www.linkedin.com/in/julietafb/

An initial round of Introductions.


Note: These questions are guidelines for where the conversation could go. They will be adjusted and enriched based on the panellists’ responses.

Academic life:


Where did you learn design?
What did you learn in design school?
Did you specialize in a specific type of design? Any other studies?
How did your understanding of design change when you started school?
How has the design industry changed since you started working?

Professional life:


What was the most significant shock moment when you started your career?
Main differences between working on projects with real clients?
Did you have any mentors or peer groups to support you?
Is there something you wish you had learned before choosing design as your profession?
Were any aspects of design management, project planning, or client communication you had to learn independently? How did you do it?
Management and project planning
Navigating politics
Collaboration with:
Developers
Clients, challenging ones
Product
Working in different environments, Eg. Corporations vs StartUps, In-house vs Agency

Tips and recommendations:

How to navigate work-life balance? How to network and bring connections? How to grow an online presence? How to bring peace and a sense of confidence to serve others in the real world to users.
What resources or professional development opportunities do you recommend for someone starting their career in your field?

Other questions

Were there any specific design movements or historical periods that were focused on during your studies?
How did your design school prepare you for presenting and communicating your design ideas effectively?
Did your design school offer internships or opportunities for practical work experience in the design industry?
How did your design school approach critique and feedback sessions, and how did they contribute to your growth as a designer?
Were there any extracurricular activities or design-related clubs that enriched your learning experience?
How did your design school address the integration of technology and design, such as interactive design or user interface design?
Were there any specific challenges you faced during your design education, and how did you overcome them?
How has your design school experience influenced your personal design style and philosophy?
Looking back, is there anything you wish your design school had covered or focused on more extensively?
What were some unexpected challenges you encountered when you started working in your field?
How did your real-world experiences differ from what you learned in your formal education or training?
What skills or knowledge did you find most valuable in your job that you didn't anticipate needing?
How did you navigate the transition from a learning environment to a professional work setting?
Were there any specific projects or tasks that provided the most significant learning opportunities early in your career?
How did you handle situations where you didn't know how to approach a problem or task in your job?
What are some practical tips or tricks you picked up while working that weren't covered in your formal education?
How did your interactions with clients or colleagues impact your learning and professional growth?
Did you have to adapt your communication style or learn new ways of presenting ideas to be effective in your job?
How did you stay up-to-date with industry trends and advancements after entering the workforce?
Were there any mistakes or setbacks you faced early in your career that taught you valuable lessons?
How did you handle work-life balance and the potential challenges of a demanding job?
Did you have any mentorship or guidance when you first started working, and how did that support your learning process?
Were there any aspects of your job that required you to think creatively or problem-solve in ways you hadn't encountered before?
How did your professional experiences shape your long-term career goals and aspirations?
What advice do you have for someone starting their career in your field to accelerate their learning and growth?
Did you have to work on projects outside your comfort zone, and how did you approach and handle those situations?
Want to print your doc?
This is not the way.
Try clicking the ⋯ next to your doc name or using a keyboard shortcut (
CtrlP
) instead.