Many people might say an anthropology degree won’t prepare you for a career in design.
With one key exception: how you choose to frame that experience.
Darold Davis, an experienced UX/UI designer and mentor at Designlab, has worked with hundreds of students through UX Academy by Designlab.
Many students who enroll in this bootcamp come from non-design backgrounds, ranging from corporate finance, healthcare, biotech, and even anthropology.
As a mentor, Darold helps these students leverage their prior work experience in a way that amplifies their UX career goals.
“Many students come from non-design fields, and sometimes students have an apprehension or hesitation, as they see design as more creative instead of logical. So my philosophy is to understand the student….and to reassure them that you don’t need any prior design skills at all to come into this profession.”
Take anthropology, for example: there are many key parallels to draw between the study of human behavior and interaction with cultures across time … and a UX designer’s goal to create more meaningful, human-centric digital experiences.
Designlab has helped more than 1750 people transform their careers…will you be next? If you’re ready to pursue a more fulfilling career in UX/UI design, why wait? Get started today.
From Finance to Design? That’ll Work.
One Designlab student already had 6 or 7 years of experience working in corporate finance … and was looking to combine her finance interest with her new interest in UX/UI.
Darold suggested looking into Fintech (financial tech).
“When she heard [about] Fintech, she said ‘yeah but how….?’ and I told her with a background in finance…you could take what you know and then go work for an accounting company, like Intuit.”
Boom boom. Finance and design, a match made in heaven.
Connecting the dots like this really just takes some knowledge of the industry, a little effort, a few minutes of thought….what dots in your career experience can you connect to a possible career in design?
Related: From Serving Restaurants to Working in Startups with T.K. Coleman
Getting Over Fear and Analysis Paralysis
Another hurdle UX/UI design students sometimes face is fear and analysis paralysis in the design process, e.g. getting started choosing colors and fonts, and getting the ball rolling.
As a mentor, Darold accepts, empathizes, and supports them in moving through this fear. He helps students to connect with user-focused UX design methods. Once students understand that these types of design choices are all traced to customer preferences, “it clicks, and they have a little more comfort in how to go about their projects.”
That guide on the side makes the difference!
Hear Darold’s Full Podcast with Us.
What Designlab Brings to the Table
UX/UI design is a growing, in-demand field where you can earn a very healthy income, and Designlab is one of the top design bootcamps on the market, and has played a key role in launching over 1750 careers.
In addition to personalized 1:1 mentorship throughout their UX Academy program, you’ll also receive…
- A completed portfolio with 4 unique capstone projects
- Lifetime access to a network of mentors and UX designers
- Actionable insights, feedback, and career support
“UX Academy was such a fun and amazing experience! I like how it was all self-paced so I had full control of my own schedule.”
— Doris, Designlab graduate
Designlab has helped more than 1750 people transform their careers…will you be next? If you’re ready to pursue a more fulfilling career in UX/UI design, why wait? Get started today.
