So here I begin. After years (seven, count ‘em) working as a public program developer in the museum world, I took a step back. I took a year to explore other potential careers, to examine what makes me fulfilled, to learn from others who have tread many different paths. Working in the museum world was rewarding beyond words, and I left behind (though I still keep in touch) fantastic thinkers, expansive creators, and the largest hearts. Seriously- if you’re ever in MN, visit the Science Museum of Minnesota. You can feel the love, care, and intelligence permeate the exhibit walls.
I worked for a six months at a medical clinic catering to the elderly, and most recently have been working for a sociologist, reading reading reading about how we create knowledge as social beings. I have been tutoring adults learning English as a second language, always fascinated by our differences and our commonalities, and the nuance of language. And I had been conducting informational interviews with people from all careers. This year has been a year of reflection and personal growth, and I feel so lucky to have been able to have taken the time.
The one informational interview that struck me the most, immovable from my brain, happened as I sat down with a former museum colleague who had made the transition from exhibit development to UX. The parallels she drew between her career in museums, the types of problems tackled through UX, the teamwork, the thought process- it all resonated with me. UX seemed a way of enhancing what I had already learned through developing museum programs with skills applicable in the tech world, with a detailed framework and process. I could extend myself, instead of completely redirect.
I did more informational interviews, went to Meetups, visited agencies. I buried my brain in UX blogs, examining it as a career with as much of a neutral eye as possible. All the while my gut was telling me I think you’ve found the next chapter.
So I decided to take the plunge, and on October 31st I start the User Experience Design Immersive. Ten weeks, and I’m all in. Excited, enthusiastic, and all in.
