Lecture on Branching into Design

Introduction

• Aim: Guidance for aspiring designers from various backgrounds.
• Audience: Young designers, mid-career professionals transitioning into design.

Key Advice for Entering Design

• Have Something Special:
  • Differentiate yourself from typical designers.
  • Bring unique skills from your background.

Examples of Unique Skills

• Engineering:
  • Use engineering skills in design applications.
• Literature:
  • Novelists' understanding of human behavior can enhance design.
  • Ability to depict realistic scenarios is valuable.
• Other Fields:
  • Business, marketing, etc., all contribute unique perspectives.

Speaker's Personal Journey

• Background:
  • Trained as an electrical engineer and mathematical psychologist.
  • Transitioned to cognitive psychology by integrating engineering insights.
• Interdisciplinary Approach:
  • Involvement in cognitive science, neuroscience, linguistics, anthropology, sociology.
  • Application of diverse disciplines in understanding technology and people.

Discovering Design

• Career Shift:
  • Moved from academia to industry.
  • Focused on creating user-friendly products.
• Role in Design:
  • Identifies as a designer, aiming to improve the world.
  • Advocates the use of design alongside other disciplines.

Tips for Success in Design

• Interdisciplinary Learning:
  • Leverage knowledge from various fields in design.
• Unique Combination:
  • Stand out with a combination of skills that others do not possess.

Conclusion

• Final Thought:
  • Design is a powerful tool among many for making a positive impact.

Additional Resources

• UX Content:
  • Explore more UX videos and articles on the website.
  • Access free library with over 2,000 articles.
  • Opportunity to join virtual UX conferences for hands-on training.