As I previously wrote, I was a panelist at a Digital Design and User Experience Forum at the University of Waterloo last week. The event was every bit as energizing and engaging as I hoped it would be. My fellow panelists, a diverse group with a shared passion for design, were thoughtful and articulate, and the questions from the crowd were great.
Even better than the panel discussion was the series of presentations made by teams of students showcasing UX-related projects that they have been working on. There were some great idea on display, as well as effective communication of those ideas.
There was also time to mingle and meet people, sharing stories and interests, which brings me to the point of this post.
For me a satisfying and rewarding career is a gift, one that really ought to be shared. Whenever an opportunity to participate in an event like this presents itself, I make an effort attend. I get a chance to meet interesting people, and share whatever I have with whomever might be interested. An event like this is, in its best form, all about giving, whether it’s time or knowledge or introductions or whatever else we have. The conversations and shared experiences can be wonderful.
There’s occasionally a further benefit. As it turns out, a perfect alignment of the stars has led to one of the student presenters at this UX Forum coming on board at Primal Fusion for a summer position with our UX team. This outcome obviously can’t happen on a regular basis, but it did on this occasion. Students and industry practitioners, do take note!