My first pivot was when I decided to start my own business in the first place. In 2008 it was easy to start a business and simply call yourself a web designer. But soon running the business meant that you were also a business owner and being a web designer was just one part of the equation.
Running my own business was fabulous, and I enjoyed interacting with clients, concepting ideas and designing solutions. But very quickly scaling the business proved why it was difficult to be a solo practitioner. Sometimes it only took one client to grow the business and even to kill a business at the same time. The industry was ever changing.
*I had used being an adjunct professor in graphic and web design to make ends meet. 10 years later I was working full time as a Lead UX Designer, raising a kid and working on a masters in HCI. I had one client and didn't want anymore clients nor did I have time.*
What did I want to do with a business?
What were the constants in the design profession?
Do you really want to have clients?
Envirse was fully remote from day one. I didn't have any local clients. From running a remote business it created remote research.
Working at Virginia529 afforded me the opportunity to develop my career by attending conferences and going back to school.
What started me down the service design path was in 2013 I attended the UX Intensive by Adaptive Path and was introduced their methods for Design Research, Design Strategy, Interaction Design & Service Design via workshops.
I followed this by becoming UX Certified with Norman Nielson Group. I then really went for it and got a Masters in Human Computer Interaction.
After studying HCI I didn't want to continue taking on clients and decided to merge my art and design backgrounds. It was time to use the same tools and methods for creating new ideas around art and design.
