Transitioning to Product design: A journey of discovery

An ongoing journey of learning and improvement

From a young age, I took an interest in computer classes as a hobby and quickly realised that I had a talent for digital technology. This became apparent when my cousin introduced me to Photoshop and we experimented with morphing faces, which I found to be easy. Although I didn’t consider it a career option at the time, this experience showed me that I had a passion for digital work.

But in India (at least when I graduated), people were not that aware about UI/UX as a field. I think most of them are still not, specially the Older generation. After my schooling, I knew that I wanted to do something related to design, so I chose interior design. In my second year of graduation, it became very clear that I might be good at what I was doing, but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. My favourite part of the design process was making the final presentation and researching.

So I transitioned to a job as a graphic designer, which was closer to my interests in digital technology. However, after 2.5 years, I realized that I wanted more from my career. If you have ever worked as a graphic designer, you’ll know that it’s more of a creative field than a logical one. I wanted to do more.

I took the bold step of leaving my job without a backup plan and enrolled in a small Coursera course focused on UI/UX. During this time, I also applied for internships, recognising the importance of hands-on experience in addition to education. This led to my work as a product design intern, and eventually, a product designer at Park+. This has been the most fulfilling and interesting work I’ve ever done, and I’m constantly learning and improving. Let’s see what the future holds.