How I eventually landed on experience design path. And quite unexpectedly, too.

After years of doing so many creative things, I came to an interesting conclusion. I was honing virtually infinite number of skills, taking the very best from all the creative disciplines and people I came across… Being a generalist has led me through photography, graphic design, creative writing, lecturing, animation, business development, service design, marketing, web design, researching, strategy, ideation, all things creative in between, fine arts…

Only when I left my comfort zone and moved abroad to try a different market, did I learn that I naturally possess pretty outstanding soft skills, too. 

But I was always struggling to define my primary field. The one equally reflecting all of my professional interests at a glance. Really.

So how it actually happened, that I landed on the experience design path?

Hints.

They were always somewhere around. Books like ‘UnMarketing: Stop Marketing. Start Engaging’ which inspired me to design better customers’ experience. Blogs, articles, workshops, new assignments. My graduation project (6 years ago) was an interactive video object itself. The whole project was about human interactions with TV. Frustration caused by poor UX. Great tools & resources I came across, like UXPin. Finally Adobe XD, bringing the power of experience design to Creative Cloud apps family. All these bits formed a rock solid foundation.

I was also intuitively using experience design principles in other fields, translating them into services design and business strategies. Or project management. Using experience design approach in my lectures & keynotes made a huge difference in quality, too.

I have to admit, it took me some time to formulate the crystal-clear picture. To join all these dots.  But, as usual, working with yourself is the hardest bit. We are our own toughest clients, after all.

The process.

I was studying design processes in which I was involved, initially to improve effectiveness, performance and get new insights. And learned that whilst I was using my creative skills widely, I would never define myself as a photographer, animator, illustrator or web designer. I used to call myself just ‘creative’ instead, to avoid all these confusing job titles and labels.

Only when I left my comfort zone and moved abroad to try a different market, did I learn that I naturally possess pretty outstanding soft skills, too.

Like seeing a bigger picture. Ability to estimate quickly. Sketching & prototyping. Attention to details. Forward thinking and unstoppable drive to make progress. And asking questions.

The outcome.

Eventually, I have managed to frame all of my interests under the experience designlabel. Or experiential, if you prefer. It’s broad enough to describe my creative journey accurately, I think.

Happy me, happy recruiters. New challenges ahead!

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Do you have similar background or career path ultimately leading you to new & exciting fields? Drop me a line! I’d love to learn your story!