1) Final Project Experience: Our project certainly got off to a slow start, and we were probably a bit behind for most of the semester, but once we got on top of it, the results came out all right. For me personally, working on this project really felt like working on a separate studio-level workload alongside my regular studio work. It was a constant challenge to make sure deadlines were being met for both classes. In the end, it was satisfying to see our project reach the point of a solid concept pitch, and now I have some new elements to add to my portfolio.
2) UX Class Experience: Overall, it did not turn out the way I had anticipated. My expectation was that this was going to be more of an instructional, skill-building course, where we learned how to work on the CS side of design (making apps, websites, programming, etc.) Rather, it was a more abstract, concept-building course, focused on the “why?” not the “how?.” It certainly was an interesting subject, and I enjoyed our discussions about AI, robotics, ethics of computer science and engineering, social science, etc. After dipping my feet in a bit, I think that I don’t want to pursue UX design as a career path (instead, focus on product design), but I consider it valuable experience nonetheless.