As I begin to write this reflection on my study in the Master of Interaction Design and Electronic Arts (MIDEA) program, I am finally aware that this journey is drawing to a close with hindsight. From one perspective, this year and a half has thoroughly guided me from a position of limited familiarity with UX design, to the point where I can ultimately take the lead on an entire project. From the other perspective, I find myself eager to continue participating in more UX design research and projects, which makes this period feel almost fleeting.

Before entering the MIDEA program, I completed an undergraduate degree in architecture design and gained experience through several internships, which allowed me to acquire basic research skills and become proficient in the use of various design software. Although I have some experience and insights related to user-centered design approach, I was still hoping that the MIDEA program will deepen my understanding of user-centered design, broaden my perspective and skill sets, from entire projects to finer details. Beyond this, I have a great passion in understanding and mastering the key processes in experiential design, from identifying problems, extracting insights to determining design directions and ultimately producing compelling outcomes that resonate with users.

Key Learning Experiences

Throughout master's course, my key learning experiences can be reflected upon starting with the Graduation Studio course. In this course, I had the opportunity to align both my working methods and design ability with practical, landed project. Throughout the project, my team and I strictly followed standard workflows, which included the use of professional management software such as ClickUp to schedule, update, and synchronize tasks. In terms of the project deliverable and outcome, I was able to engage in direct communication with real clients, which allowed me to approach to their genuine needs while validating and refining my design. This experience also strengthened my design ability with a deeper understanding of the logic behind design presentations and the key preference of clients.

With various experience in MIDEA’s group projects, I have had the opportunity to continuously practicing my collaboration skills and adjusting to team members with diverse working habits and thinking patterns. This has been a novel and challenging experience that I had not encountered in my previous years of study. Transitions from individual responsibilities to engage collectively in the entire design process, these different modes of collaboration have strengthened my communication and teamwork skills, better preparing me for collaborative tasks in my future studies and professional careers.

Three Top Practical Skills

The three top practical skills I acquired could be summarized as Wireframing and Prototyping Skills, User Research and Testing Skills and Academic Research Skills. The ability to create wireframes and prototypes using tools like Figma is crucial for me to effectively visualize and iterate on both design concept and logic. The skill in user research could help me capturing user needs and pain points both rapidly and accurately; the skill in user testing makes me able to test ideas and gather valuable, in-depth feedback for iterating and producing a more satisfying outcome. The skill in academic research enables me to develop greater critical thinking habit, enhance my design logic and support my design solution and focus that are both traceable and feasible.

Three Top Theoretical Concepts

Throughout my MIDEA journey, I have gained significant insights User-Centered Design (UCD), Emotional Design, and Affinity Mapping as the three top theoretical concepts. The UCD has remind me of always prioritize the needs and experiences of users during design process, in order to ensure that solutions are tailored to users’ preferences. Emotional Design has highlighted the critical role that emotions play in user behaviors and interaction display, emphasized the need to design that not only for functional requirements but also evoke positive feelings and connections. Additionally, Affinity Mapping is invaluable for organizing and analyzing user research data, carries out a clearer identification of themes and insights that lead to effective design decisions. Together, these concepts have significantly enriched my approach to UX design, equipped me with a solid framework for developing meaningful and impactful user experience.