Here's what I'll cover:

• Me in a nutshell

• How I got into design

• Things I've learned

• Biggest failure

Me in a nutshell

I grew up in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. When I was 19, I flew 10,000 miles (by myself) to the U.S. to study graphic design because I received a scholarship. Today, I'm based in Florida, working as a graphic designer at the University of Florida. When I'm not on screens, I enjoy playing badminton with my friends, going to the gym, and doing watercolor paintings.

How I got into design

Since I was a kid, I would always look for scrap papers and a pencil to sketch. I first studied architecture because I was interested in physics and design. But I learned quickly that I did not like it and I was struggling in class. After a year, I transitioned to studying graphic design. I instantly fell in love with it. During junior year of college, I came across UX design and I got interested in digital designs when I took a class about web design.

So, I went to pursue my masters degree in Human-Computer Interaction. Throughout my education, I worked as a UX designer at 3M and Enovation Controls (they design dashboards for jet ski boats). I learned a lot from the experience and I felt fortunate to work with talented teams.

Once I graduated, I got a job working at a global nonprofit as a graphic designer. At the beginning, it was very tough because I was the sole graphic designer so I had to handle all of the visual materials from creating social media graphics to flyers to spatial graphics. I also did not have a mentor so I was learning through online and through my fellow designers. Unfortunately, the organization started using AI to generate designs and I was not valued anymore as a graphic designer. Hence, I landed on my current role at the University of Florida.

Things I've learned

Expose yourself to new things

Over the years, I've developed my own design style and taste through many factors such as background, environment, people I met, trying a new instrument, and traveling to new places. I've developed my "taste" based on many many years of experimenting, exploration, and exposing myself to new things.

Learn to adapt

With the rapid changes of technology, design has shifted a lot compared to when I first studied graphic design in 2016. The bar of design became higher. Businesses and clients are expecting a graphic designer to wear multiple hats, designing logos, website, taking photos, editing videos and strategizing content. Having a growth mindset to constantly learn new skills and adopt AI tools is important (and fun!).

Surround yourself with people who are better than you

I’ve found that I grow faster when I surround myself with people who challenge and inspire me. Being around people who are more experienced or skilled pushes me to learn, improve, and see things from new perspectives. Sometimes, the best way to grow is simply to surround myself with people who want me to become better.

My biggest failure

During college, I had free elective credits that allowed me to explore subjects beyond my major. However, I never considered taking a computer science class because I assumed programming was meant for engineers and that I wasn't qualified to learn it. Looking back, my biggest mistake wasn't missing a class. It was letting my own assumptions determine what I was capable of learning. Programming could have complemented my graphic design and UX/UI skills, and I missed an opportunity to explore that connection earlier.

I have been taking online courses in HTML, CSS and JavaScript. I'm still a beginner, but I've learned that I don't need to feel qualified before trying something new.

My biggest takeaway: Don't let the fear of not being good enough prevent me from exploring something that could help me grow.

If you’ve made it this far, I hope you’ve learned a little bit more about me and my journey as a designer. If you would like to chat further, you can connect with me on LinkedIn or drop me an email at anpy.angeline@gmail.com.