My Wartburg classes prepared me for further study in UX/UI design
NAME: Angeline Neo
CLASS YEAR: 2020
WARTBURG MAJOR: Design and visual communication
WHAT WERE YOUR NEXT STEPS AFTER GRADUATING FROM WARTBURG: I returned to Malaysia and worked as a digital designer at a medical center for almost a year. Then, I went to Iowa State University to pursue my master’s in human-computer interaction with a focus on UX/UI design.
HOW DID WARTBURG PREPARE YOU FOR YOU ISU PROGRAM : Wartburg gave me a solid foundation in design to prepare me to work in the design field. The classes I took helped me be flexible, adaptable, and well-equipped to handle different challenges.
WHAT DO YOU REMEMBER ABOUT YOUR TIME IN THE ART DEPARTMENT: I enjoyed spending time there because the space allowed me to work and relax. I still remember going to the art department at 8 a.m. on Saturdays and would spend the whole day there. My art and graphic design professors gave me constant encouragement and feedback on my projects, which was valuable because I learned a lot from that.
WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE WARTBURG EXPERIENCE: I served as the president of the Asian Student Association during my junior year, and we organized a ramen festival where we served ramen from different countries and had a spicy ramen challenge. That was my favorite Wartburg experience because it was fun to see people come together to learn about Asian cultures.
YOUR MASTER’S DEGREE IS IN HUMAN-COMPUTER INTERACTION. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN AND HOW DID YOU LAND ON THAT AREA OF EXPERTISE: Human-computer interaction is a field of study that focuses on the interaction between users and digital interfaces. It covers multiple disciplines, such as psychology, human factors engineering, computer science, and design. I focused on design, where I studied how to create positive experiences to satisfy users when interacting with digital interfaces .
I landed in that area of expertise because the design classes I took at Wartburg helped me discovered my strengths in design. One of the projects was to create a web and mobile screens. I thoroughly enjoyed that project and got interested in designing digital user interfaces that are intuitive and engaging. That is when I decided to do my master’s program to learn more about user interface (UI) and user experience (UX) designs.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR INTERNSHIP EXPERIENCES IN UI/UX: During my master’s studies, I worked as a UX design intern at 3M and Enovation Controls. I had an amazing experience on both places I worked for because of the variety of products I get to design. At 3M, I designed mobile app screens whereas at Enovation Controls, I designed vehicle user interface (UI) dashboards. It was a valuable experience to work-on real-world products and learn from many talented and like-minded individuals.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR CURRENT STUDENTS: Aside from completing assignments and going to classes, my advice for current student is to be involved in student organizations and talk to people who are from a different background, culture, identity, race, and nationality. These helps improve your interpersonal skills (which is an essential skill wherever you go) and broaden your perspective of the world.