How it all began
As a 16-year-old, I remembered the nerve-wrecking day when I received my O-level results. They were not outstanding according to societal standards and in fact, I only had 2 courses that I could apply for; “Diploma in perfumery or Experience and product design” in Singapore Polytechnic.
To be really honest, I was totally clueless what both courses comprised of. While my parents were more interested in me taking up a science course, I had a slight bent on the latter instead. Prior to that, I had not interacted with art, design nor was I good at drawing (as any layman would assume a designer needed to be).
For what seemed like a “not-much-option” decision for me to make, I applied and entered the Experience and product design course… and the rest is history.
Pulling out the gold in me
My time as a design student in Singapore Polytechnic (more than a decade ago) has laid a solid foundation for the way I saw and even thought about design. I am extremely grateful to be taught and mentored by lecturers whose design practice I still look up to today. (Edwin Low of Supermama, Wendy Chua of Forest & Whale, Alvin Ho of HOKO and many more)
Even though my lecturers were very unconventional and daring in their teaching methodologies, there was something about the culture they created that allowed me and my batch-mates to thrive in the design space.
Aside from regular design school curriculum, an open studio named ‘Design Facility’ was created to allow students across cohorts to collaborate and work on more experimental projects. Being part of the studio gave me the opportunity to be able to participate in overseas internships and exhibitions that I would not trade anything for.
The little spark I started in design grew so much over the course of the Diploma and I am very grateful that my lecturers saw something precious in me that I couldn’t even recognise in myself.
Where design meets art
Coming from an environment where ideas, concepts were being celebrated, pursuing a degree in Fine Arts with a specialisation in Visual Communication from a local university was not an unfamiliar next step for me. It was in NTU School of Art, Design & Media that made me fall in love with art as a medium.
Even though I majored in Visual Communication, learning and mastering Graphic Design was the bare minimum for me. I was drawn to take up classes from other majors, ie: photography, film etc where I got to once again explore the conceptual and deeper side of things.
Art is a powerful medium that not only affects the artist but also the people who’d encounter it. For me, the medium has been extremely cathartic and able to address issues that sometimes design cannot. To reminisce the body of work for that season, here was my portfolio then.
After graduation, what’s next?
Even though at that point, being a full-time artist seemed like a probable next step, I couldn’t see myself making art as my sole means of living. Having to create, knock on doors of galleries for opportunities to be represented (at least that was how I thought the process was) would eventually rob my love for art.
With the design projects that I’ve done and the portfolio I had at that point, I applied for a graphic design role in Healthcare through a job portal. I am very grateful and consider it a privilege to be able to design in a meaningful space for more than 6 years now and still dabble on art occasionally.
My full circle moment
Being a fresh graduate and the only in-house designer in the department I was in, meant that I had the opportunity to work on many varied design projects. (ie: corporate identity, posters, marketing materials, EDMs etc) Even though it seemed like a fun role for a designer starting out, I considered the environment challenging as I was designing for an industry whose design thought and practise was maturing very slowly.
After being in the graphic design role for 2 years, I soon felt like I ran into a roadblock in the work I was doing. There was something missing about graphic design… It was at the same point that I was given an opportunity on the account that “I knew photoshop” to design some simple screens for our in-house application that began my user experience journey.
As I reflected on how I started design, being enrolled in “Experience and product design” to being a User experience designer today, I am really surprised and heartened at the sovereign hand that brought my journey to a full circle moment.
The journey being a UX designer in healthcare has not been easy. There are still many areas to change, grow and mature personally and as a industry. That aside, I am extremely thankful that due to the nature of UX design (the ability to understand human behaviour, talk to real people etc) has made my journey more enriching and meaningful.
Even though the UX industry is extremely competitive with a greater influx of people transitioning into the field, this post serves as a reminder to myself and potential designers that it doesn’t matter where you have been or how your design journey looks like…
Your story and the person you are becoming is precious, unique and you will always have a voice and a seat at the table.
