Posted by By: Bonnie Chan, NYU Alumni & Current IBM Designer
Just a couple of months ago I was finishing up my Senior design project, my last academic project as a NYU student. In college, we learn all the foundations to become a great designer. We learn about research processes, understanding users, developing designs, and more. Our projects provide the opportunity for us to exercise our creative minds but it doesn’t come fully alive until you put your knowledge into practice. Having worked at NYU Wasserman and as a designer at IBM now, I’ve discovered the process of bringing that creativity from college into the world through products.
During my last few months at NYU, I had the opportunity to use the design skills I learned in class to create online career modules at NYU Wasserman for the NYU community to access resources and information on the career process and growth.
Being a designer for the NYU Wasserman Career Modules was a unique experience where I had the chance to partake in all aspects of the production process. Connecting with individuals that would be using the platform and utilizing NYU design standards were experiences that helped me build my skills as a designer now in my job at IBM. Most of all, seeing the user experience I had designed for the online career modules solidified my love and pride for the design industry and their commitment to provide the best inclusive experience.
Since working on designs at IBM and participating in their Patterns program, a 6 week design bootcamp, I discovered the creative balance between design and business that create the best product for a company’s users. Being at a company with such a vast number of products, means that I’ve also learned how to navigate the virtual office space since my time at IBM has been entirely online. With all the new technology available, getting to know colleagues and learning the ropes has still been seemingly smooth. Being able to attend virtual gatherings and using collaborative online tools to work on projects simultaneously have been very helpful.
One of the largest takeaways from my transition to the workforce is the realization that although we have learned a lot from college and internships, we will continue to learn even after college, no matter what position we are in.
If you want to see my work, explore the career learning modules website I designed for the NYU community.
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