Each month we spotlight a woman or girl in tech who inspires us. This month we are highlighting Yasmin Curren. She is an online video content creator and influencer with a background in front-end development, currently studying Computer Game Arts.
How do you work with technology today?
Through studying computer games I'm able to use my knowledge of C#, 3D modeling and animation within the games engine space to create new forms of storytelling to try and bridge the gap between film and games.
What drives your interest in technology?
Storytelling has always been my main focus. I am passionate to explore how technology can be used to introduce interactivity to enhance a story and immerse the viewers within fictional worlds.
What do you remember about your first coding experience?
I was studying a Media L3 Diploma in College and asked if I could switch units to study Games as a part of this Diploma. Within this time I was given the task of creating my first game in Unity, where I was confronted with the deadly task of coding some interactivity into the gameplay. I remember spending so long trying to understand how to script a flashlight to turn on and off by key press, but once the code finally worked and I could see it working in-game as I wanted I felt like a god, having full control over a world I created and I could see that with a knowledge of code anything was possible within these digital spaces.
What was your pathway to working in technology?
I was never sure whether I preferred film or the games industry, so when I finished school I found myself a digital apprenticeship in a London advertising company, iris Worldwide. During this time I had the opportunity to work as a Creative Technologist until moving over to focus on Front-End Web Development. Once completing this apprenticeship I worked full-time as a front-end developer, working on websites, interactive online experiences and being the main developer for Samsung emails.
Why is it important to get more girls and women interested in technology?
It's important to have equal genders within most areas of work, especially the creative sectors, which most definitely includes the tech industry. Having a mix of genders, ages and ethnicities help to broaden the overall mindset of a team with different views and understanding of topics and the world in general, which helps to feed more diverse and unique creative ideas. I believe that the tech industry still has a stigma over it that it's not a creative industry, but those who work within it know that it's completely the opposite. Creative thinking is needed to not only develop new and engaging projects but also to simply keep up with this ever-growing and changing world of technology. Creative individuals, male or female, would fit right at home in this industry.
Who inspires you to pursue your passion?
I am lucky enough to be able to share my ideas, passions and projects with an engaged audience who are constantly supporting me and inspiring me to keep pursuing what I love. It's not always easy to stay focused and positive when chasing goals that sometimes seem unobtainable, however when you surround yourself with positivity it reminds you that even though times might get hard, it's always worth the effort in the end. I'm also inspired by others achievements, big or small. When a person is passionate enough to make time to share amazing things with the world it reminds me of our own uniqueness as a race, and that we all have something equally fascinating to share with the world.
What most excites you about the future of technology?
Technology, if used correctly, has the potential to truly bring us together as a race. Nothing else has been able to unite us all on such a global scale and that amazes me. I'm excited to see how this union will continue to expand as technology advances and I am hoping that it will make more of a positive impact to our understanding of each other as well as the world that we live in.