Hi, I’m Emily, and I went to bootcamp.
Overview:
In early 2020, I had amassed over 5 years of experience in leadership roles focused on experience and design strategy. During this time, I had successfully overseen significant technological implementations, customizations, and adoption projects, as well as the design and testing of innovative workflows. Additionally, I had developed and implemented design strategies and user experience prototypes for major software initiatives. However, it was during this period that I faced a personal challenge.
I had encouraged my team to embrace Figma as our preferred design tool, but I realized that I didn't possess the level of proficiency with Figma that I should have. Acknowledging this gap in my skill set, I decided to take action.
Around the same time, our Chief Product Officer (CPO) requested a comprehensive analysis of alternative learning products available in the market. This analysis included in-depth investigations into some of the most intriguing solutions. The opportunity was too valuable to pass up. So, I made the decision to enroll in a UX Design bootcamp.
This bootcamp not only served as an excellent case study for our team to learn from, but it also offered the added benefit of equipping me with the skills and knowledge I needed to master Figma.
Results & Outcomes
I completed the UX bootcamp in approximately 6 weeks, fully immersing myself in the experience and committing to being open to new ways of working while driving myself to learn Figma.
The resulting landscape analysis helped inform more interesting design strategies for our first product release and was used by senior leadership to inform their mergers & acquisitions strategy in this space.
Through this experience I not only gained a depth of skillset in the tools, but was also able to employ my skills in color theory, typography, and layout design in new and fun ways. This inspired me to create opportunities for my team to encourage them to take time to explore and apply their skills in new ways, resulting in a shift to a more creative and curious team culture.
This experience cemented my belief that as a manager it is not only our role to be curious and open to new perspectives, but that it’s also our role to build these opportunities for our teams.