Where do you work, and what’s your current role?

I am a Product Designer at Nascent Digital. 

What got you interested in this role and the subject area you decided to study to get there?

I had been working freelance as an artist and illustrator and was exploring career paths that would allow me to use my creativity and skill set. 

What was your next step to pursue that path?

I took a few Adobe courses at George Brown which led to a Certificate program in User Experience, and later Design at HackerYou. 

What was it like to take those courses — how did you find the right balance of managing your time?

I really enjoyed the courses at both George Brown and Hacker You. They both offered evening classes, which I found fit into my work schedule well, and the assignments were manageable. I was able to get them done on the weekends. 

What’s the most fulfilling part of the work you’re doing now? What keeps you driven?

I love working on making design more accessible and easy to navigate. I believe in keeping things beautiful and simple. If I can come up with a solution that will improve the overall experience for the end user, I’m happy. 

What advice do you have for those who might want to upgrade their skills or follow in a similar path to your own?

Stay up to date on design trends. I like sites like Designer News and Sidebar . Talk to people in the industry. Set up coffee dates. Visit workplaces where you’d like to work some day. Go to events and take as many courses as you can to make sure it’s a good fit. It’s an industry that’s always changing, so keeping your skill set current and relevant is very important.