How UX saved my marriage with Design
Today I want to explain to you a little bit of my story, and try to share with all of those graphic and UI Designers who are thinking about learning more about UX, why they should definitely do it!
I finished my degree in visual communication and graphic design in 2011, after being one course in Switzerland and doing all kinds of “junior” jobs here and there. I had the luck to get a job in an important agency in the heart of Barcelona. We worked for big enterprises like Nespresso, Sanex, Gallo, and an amount variety of Unilever brands. Sounds great, isn’t it? … Not for me.
When you finish the university you are filled with energy and hope. You will do something ‘different’, something with meaning for the rest of humanity… What I discovered working there, was that I was just another little piece helping to sell useless things to the people.
Talking with my colleagues, we all felt that at some point. I decided to move to another job, so I went to work in a small studio run by one of my university teachers. She worked majorly for museums and cultural projects.
There I learned that even with lots of effort and good intentions money is excessively present. The museums we worked for pushed us to limits that I’ve never experienced in the first agency (now you can call me naive). And, that in the end they are all the same. Enterprises that don’t care about their users, just want their money.
Finally, after some existential crisis, I quit design!
Yes… I moved to another topic. I got obsessed with the bakery so I did some lessons and finally, even I opened a small shop with my friends in my hometown. Cool! isn’t it? Food makes people happy, and if we talk about cakes and cool desserts, better!
Now you could think, ok… but what about UX? UX has a lot to do in working with people. When you work for the public, you learn to take care of them, what they like and what they don’t, you observe them every day and learn how to serve better and better.
UX just came to me. All I did in the bakery had some relation with design. In the end, I learned that serving people makes me happy. But after 2 wonderful years leading the bakery, it was the moment to go back to design.
Again, talking and investigating with colleagues, I was sure that the design could be something else, that it could really help the people, as our teachers used to tell us at the University. Design has a purpose, if not, will be art. The question now is, which purpose do you want to serve?
The more I read and investigated about UX Design, the more in love I got. UX is the perfect combination between psychology, service, and visual arts. It’s here to help the users and the enterprises to have mutual benefits.
Continuing with my comparison, we could say that a good UX, it’s like a marriage counselor between the user and the enterprise.
Now, after a master's in UX Design and a lot of work to do, I love again my profession, and I feel proud of what I do.
So designers on the planet! if you feel like you want to do something more, and have meaningful workdays, start to discover User Experience and Service Design. I assure you that a whole new love story is to begin!
