Designing an event to help students determine their design trajectory & build career readiness.
Designing an event to help students determine their design trajectory & build career readiness.
Designing an event to help students determine their design trajectory & build career readiness.
Co-President of the CMU’s User Experience Association
Co-President of the CMU’s User Experience Association
Co-President of the CMU’s User Experience Association
Timeline
Timeline
3 months
3 months
Role
Role
Co-President & Team Lead
Co-President & Team Lead
With
With
Team of 24 students.
Team of 24 students.
Overview
Overview
UXA is the one & only UX/HCI club at Carnegie Mellon; academically, professionally & socially supporting students on their design journeys.
UXA is the one & only UX/HCI club at Carnegie Mellon; academically, professionally & socially supporting students on their design journeys.
UXA was born just 3 years ago to provide a community for anyone & everyone interested in UX / HCI. Since then, we’ve hosted countless workshops, panels, and socials where students learn from one another & pursue their UX goals.
In 2023, we heard from students that there was a huge gap in career support; so we created an event called Career Prep Day.
This year, we leveled it up to an entire weekend of not just lectures, but interactive workshops & discussions where hundreds of students & guests learned, grew & connected with one another.
Problem
It’s a struggle for students to figure our what their career goals even are, let alone how to achieve them.
It’s a struggle for students to figure our what their career goals even are, let alone how to achieve them.
Outcome
A 2-day event enabling students to not only uncover their unique goals & how to achieve them, but connect with others & their own design journeys.
A 2-day event enabling students to not only uncover their unique goals & how to achieve them, but connect with others & their own design journeys.
How did we achieve this?
How did we achieve this?
We designed to maximize thoughtful interaction between people of every background & experience level, maintaining a casual & low stakes atmosphere.
We designed to maximize thoughtful interaction between people of every background & experience level, maintaining a casual & low stakes atmosphere.
Knowing that attendees would range from freshmen exploring HCI to grad students seeking full time roles, junior designers to UX directors with decades of experience, we wanted to enable every single person to contribute & learn from each other’s perspectives.
Knowing that attendees would range from freshmen exploring HCI to grad students seeking full time roles, junior designers to UX directors with decades of experience, we wanted to enable every single person to contribute & learn from each other’s perspectives.
Illuminating the UX recruiting process.
Illuminating the UX recruiting process.
We kicked off with an overview of the UX recruiting process, recognizing that this is one of our students’ biggest pain points.
We kicked off with an overview of the UX recruiting process, recognizing that this is one of our students’ biggest pain points.
Student Need
Student Need
Students are frustrated about not understanding design recruiting process & UX job market.
Students are frustrated about not understanding design recruiting process & UX job market.
Helping students find their direction in the HCI world.
Helping students find their direction in the HCI world.
We ran a panel discussion with 14 guests from a huge range of backgrounds, exposing students to the range of possibilities. Then we ran small group discussions, enabling students to have casual, intimate conversation with guests most aligned with their interests.
We ran a panel discussion with 14 guests from a huge range of backgrounds, exposing students to the range of possibilities. Then we ran small group discussions, enabling students to have casual, intimate conversation with guests most aligned with their interests.
Student Need
Student Need
CMU culture hyper-fixates on working in big tech; students don’t understand the range of possible roles in the HCI world & which is the right fit for them.
CMU culture hyper-fixates on working in big tech; students don’t understand the range of possible roles in the HCI world & which is the right fit for them.
Teaching how to frame school work to be compelling in an industry context.
Teaching how to frame school work to be compelling in an industry context.
We walked through real examples of student projects & broke down their structure & framing to teach how to frame your work for different career contexts.
We walked through real examples of student projects & broke down their structure & framing to teach how to frame your work for different career contexts.
Student need
Student need
A struggle we heard from students was a lack of understanding on how to frame their work in a compelling way for industry contexts.
A struggle we heard from students was a lack of understanding on how to frame their work in a compelling way for industry contexts.
Learning to tell one’s own story in an industry context.
Learning to tell one’s own story in an industry context.
Fans preferred starting zoomed out on the entire map, rather than at their seat location.
Fans preferred starting zoomed out on the entire map, rather than at their seat location.
Student Need
Student Need
A struggle we heard from students was a lack of understanding on how to frame their work in a compelling way for industry contexts.
A struggle we heard from students was a lack of understanding on how to frame their work in a compelling way for industry contexts.
Communicating via one’s portfolio.
Communicating via one’s portfolio.
We ran 6 small group portfolio reviews, enabling experienced students to get feedback & those less experienced to learn from them.
We ran 6 small group portfolio reviews, enabling experienced students to get feedback & those less experienced to learn from them.
Student Need
Student Need
It’s more & more difficult to stand out via ones portfolios; getting feedback from a senior designer’s perspective is critical.
It’s more & more difficult to stand out via ones portfolios; getting feedback from a senior designer’s perspective is critical.
Effective interview skills.
Effective interview skills.
We explained the design interview process, mocked whiteboard challenges & ran a low-stakes mock interview, giving everyone a chance to practice no matter their skill level.
We explained the design interview process, mocked whiteboard challenges & ran a low-stakes mock interview, giving everyone a chance to practice no matter their skill level.
Student Need
Student Need
Interviewing is a whole set of skills that students are never exposed to via class, but desperately need in order to find work.
Interviewing is a whole set of skills that students are never exposed to via class, but desperately need in order to find work.
What did I learn?
The challenges & joys of designing events to connect people...
The challenges & joys of designing events to connect people...
Learning #1
Learning #1
The key to an effective team is enabling each individual to feel invested & understand their essential contribution to the team goal.
The key to an effective team is enabling each individual to feel invested & understand their essential contribution to the team goal.
By delegating sections of the event to pairs of team members, I helped them feel responsible for & invested in what we were building together. Pairing people up made the work enjoyable & like you always had someone at your back, even at the hardest moments.
By delegating sections of the event to pairs of team members, I helped them feel responsible for & invested in what we were building together. Pairing people up made the work enjoyable & like you always had someone at your back, even at the hardest moments.
Learning #2
Learning #2
When it comes to events, EVERYTHING is in the details.
When it comes to events, EVERYTHING is in the details.
As this was our first time doing such an event, I knew from dance performance experience, that things inevitably go in unexpected ways. To design for this, we planned for every possible scenario & ran dry runs of the event, allowing us to uncover details that would otherwise have been disastrous day of.
As this was our first time doing such an event, I knew from dance performance experience, that things inevitably go in unexpected ways. To design for this, we planned for every possible scenario & ran dry runs of the event, allowing us to uncover details that would otherwise have been disastrous day of.
Learning #3
Learning #3
I’ve discovered a love of not just designing experiences, but specifically designing to help people connect with one another.
I’ve discovered a love of not just designing experiences, but specifically designing to help people connect with one another.
I absolutely loved the entire process, iterating through different agenda ideas as we got feedback from different perspectives. But NOTHING was as fulfilling as seeing the conversations, enthusiasm & laughter that organically happened during the event.
I absolutely loved the entire process, iterating through different agenda ideas as we got feedback from different perspectives. But NOTHING was as fulfilling as seeing the conversations, enthusiasm & laughter that organically happened during the event.
Other events
XHacks: Reimagining Human Connection in the Digital Age
XHacks: Reimagining Human Connection in the Digital Age
A personal, relatable & human theme.
Our theme was Reimagining Human Connection: In an era shaped by digital interactions, remote work, and evolving social norms, how can design bring people closer together?
Goal
Goal
To encourage attendees to design from problems & areas they feel passionate about.
Growing guest & student relationships.
We invited 10 guests to give feedback & work closely with all our different students - rather than focusing on competition, we honed in on collaboration.
Student Need
Student Need
Building relationships with professors & industry professionals while gaining insight from different POVs.
Encouraging a diverse range of ideas.
Rather than fixating on screen based design, we encouraged & inspired students to think broad & think big.
Rather than fixating on screen based design, we encouraged & inspired students to think broad & think big.
Student need
Student need
CMU's curriculum & culture tends to jump immediately to technology - we wanted to push students to think problem first, method second.
Collaboratively leading a team while having a blast!
My style of leadership focuses on enabling everyone to share their opinions & contribute to the event, while still maintaining a fast-paced timeline & clear cut organization.
Student Need
Student Need
Making this event experience fulfilling for everyone, attendees & organizers alike.
Making this event experience fulfilling for everyone, attendees & organizers alike.
Explore more!
Explore more!
Explore more!
