Written by: on August 5, 2020
Meet Hazel, a UX designer at the BBC. A good friend of ours, she has worked with us to deliver numerous #TechForGood programmes, and her feedback was always glistening. That’s why, when we introduced our new online initiative – we just had to get her involved!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9UlVM6BmeU
So far, three cohorts have successfully graduated from our online programme. Hazel’s cohort thoroughly enjoyed the experience and were inspired. So inspired, in fact, that one student even sent some questions over to Hazel when the course ended. We share her responses below to inspire others:
”I’m not sure I can pinpoint a defining moment when I think back as I never knew what I wanted to do I was at school, so I always picked things that I enjoyed. I picked subjects like computing, design and tech, psychology only as they were my faves and I had an interest in them. Then because I enjoyed them I would work hard and then that opened doors to keep doing these things.”
“I’d also say when I was about 12 I used to listen to Radio 1 every morning, and one day they did a webcam that updated every 10 mins or so throughout the show so you could see into the studio. This sounds so basic now, but I remember being excited that technology was allowing me to see something I only listen to every day. It was also when I decided I wanted to work for the BBC, which coming from a small village in Scotland wasn’t something I thought would ever happen. So although I don’t work on anything to do with the radio, I’m proud that I managed to work at the BBC in my chosen career!”
“Someone once gave me a great bit of advice to say yes to things that make you feel nervous, as they’re probably the things you’ll learn the most from and you don’t know where they’ll take you. A few examples for me would be my tour guide job (which led to me feeling much more confident public speaking, something I now have to do often at work), moving to Manchester for my job when I didn’t know anyone and even running Innovate Her remotely! And all of these have taught me something I didn’t expect to get out of it.”
“I’d say people skills, big part of my job is working with lots of different people in the team and getting them bought into my ideas. We have to understand our users, to make sure we are designing something that really fits into their lives, but I also have to speak to a lot of different people at work (and end up spending quite a few hours in meetings every week). Like developers, product managers, project managers, design researchers, to make sure that we are all working towards the best design possible.”
“Also think you have to enjoy asking why and questioning things, I find through doing UX I’m constantly looking at the world through a lens thinking how could things be better!
An interest in visual design is also helpful, but it’s not vital for everything as designing some experience like ‘Voice’ don’t have visuals, as it’s more about the spoken experience.”
“My top tip would be to keep looking to the future! And find out more about things that sound interesting.
Tech is changing really quickly, I was only 14 when the iPhone was released and think how much has changed since then. We now have super powerful computers in our pockets, on our wrists, in our ears…. And although my job existed that long ago, it’s evolved and changed a lot since then. So when you’re my age it’s difficult to imagine what jobs will exist, but there will be lots involving STEM and I think that’s super exciting!”
So, let the learning begin!
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