As technology keeps advancing, so is the need for young creative designers.

As
designers, It’s our duty to create innovative solutions to solve problems, but a distressing
part of design wether creating a physical product or website, is that most designers focus
primarily on the look of the design, forgetting about how it feels, taking research and
usability for granted. In my journey to become a product designer, I seek a balance
between the breath and depth of research and design which is evident in the study of
MHCI+D.

From my short internship with DAÜ TV, I discovered the essence of teamwork. Due to
COVID restrictions our activities were limited; Seeing how fast members improvised to
solve unexpected problems taught me the importance of a good team. Volunteering at
VOIS Cyprus further honed my ability to work with people from different disciplines and
teams on various projects. Validating designs through feedback and critiques from my
team helps me understand other people’s perspective and having another persons
reflection on my design helps me learn from my mistakes. My experience with VOIS has
broaden my understanding of problems faced in my community which has developed my
ability empathize when designing. Reactions from people when these projects were
launched motivated me to do more. This led to my promotion as head of media in
November 2021, A position I believe will increase my leadership skills
 
Enrolling in Visual communication design bachelors at Eastern Mediterranean University
has increased my appreciation of design not only as a profession but also a way of life.
familiarizing me with skills like: problem solving, ideation and various design softwares;
Presenting opportunities (in form of projects and assignments) to which I can apply my
knowledge. Through determination, time management and hard work I have been able to
consistently increase my academic performance every semester while taking extra
classes. I am amused by the idea of exploring the solutions to various design problems
that designers face and the reasons behind them and the opportunity to implement them
into my own works whenever possible to enrich/improve the quality of my designs. 

In my second semester, I found out about UXdesign with no clue about it. I searched on
Google and Nelson Norman group which developed my curiosity on the subject, and
urged me to enroll in a UX elective at soon as it opened in my fifth semester. Taking this
course gave me an insight into what it entails which sparked my interest in product
design. I decided to study the Google UX course. Following the courses, I created two
mobile apps and a website Which showed a glimpse of what’s involved in being a
product designer.

I would love to work with tech giants like Microsoft, Google, Adobe and Apple; As I
have experience with their products and it would serve as an avenue to get mentored by
industr professionals into an experienced designer. My long-term aspirations will be
working with startups; Creating innovative designs for the next generations products. In
order to get there, I seek to have a solid foundation which I am certain to accomplish
while studying HCI+D program to create the best experience for users. Through
collaborations with other designers and experts, I aim to understand the reasons behind
the design process, so that I can also develop advanced strategies and ideas that I can
stand up for when questioned to create interactive and human centered designs.

The studio based learning structure and interdisciplinary collaboration amongst different
DUB department were the primary reason that drew my attention to MHCI+D. Bringing
students from different departments and diverse backgrounds with their own perspective
does not only help them learn better but also help create inclusive designs as they learn
from their strengths and their differences. The varieties of electives serves as a way to
further explore my areas of interest. Taking HCDE 516 and INFO 474 are courses that
would strengthen my research and data visualization skills. To top it all the Capstone
project gives the opportunity to partner with industry sponsors which takes the students
outside the learning environment into the industry to apply all they have learnt. From the
school’s reputation to the location of the campus in Seattle with a community of different
tech companies and the alumni mentoring programs are all signs that assure me of better
life after graduation

From my understanding of this course, I understand and expect to face obstacles and
challenges, but I am determined to learn from those challenges and apply them to have a
successful career. I believe that with my passion and dedication I will be able to
contribute to the department while achieving my goal of becoming an expert in the design
industry.