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Carmelita Ardizzone was a participant in our part time UX Design Online Course. Read the interview to find out more about the course and its content, the experiences she liked most, and her favourite part of the Course.
"Design is one of the most powerful forces in our lives, whether or not we are aware of it, and can also be inspiring, empowering and enlightening" Quote by Alice Rawsthorn
Can you tell us a little bit about your background and why you choose to do the Talent Garden Innovation School UX Design Online Course?
Hello, I am Carmelita, a designer with 6 years of experience in service design. In 2017 I completed a high specialization course in Design&Management of Integrated Services at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Unimore) and in 2020 a high specialization course in Service Design for Business at the POLI.Design in Milan. I chose Talent Garden Innovation School's UX Design Essentials course because I believe in Design that generates value. Talent Garden is Europe's leading innovation platform and coworking network with 18+ campuses across 8 countries. Every day in Talent Garden you can improve your design, creativity, digital and business skills just by being part of the community. This Master’s Program had all the ingredients to form a designer mindset.What was it like to study at the Talent Garden Innovation School?
I had very high expectations which were fully met at the end of the Program. There were a lot of remarkable experiences in this online course. Among those amazing experiences some of my favourites are: Live Learning Sessions The sessions were delivered by working designers with hands-on experience. All of the Innovations School faculty are industry professionals from incredible companies meaning that all of us students not only learn the skill but benefit from their professional experience. Late Night sessions Friday's Late Nights are inspiring talks given by leading figures in the Designer community on emerging or controversial topics related to the User Experience. Authentic and exceptional speakers who have inspired me and shaped my vision and professional attitude. My favourite speakers were Raffaele Boiano, CEO and Co-Founder Fifth Beat and Roberto Falcone, Designer at Google. Career Counseling I had a one-to-one online meeting with one of Talent Garden's Career Advisors and it was empowering. We talked about my career goals and looked at the ways how to achieve them. We also discussed my LinkedIn profile for personal branding. Digital identity Webinar Another great moment was an hour-long webinar dedicated to enhancing your Linkedin profile to gain visibility in the eyes of recruiters. The webinar was done by Filippo Scorza another faculty member of the school.Can you tell us about your classmates, faculty and the people you met while attending the course?
People really are the number one the core value of the Talent Garden Innovation School and there are some concrete reasons for this. The value of friendship During the UX Design Essentials Program, I met professionals with different backgrounds. Our collaboration gave birth to the DesignHers team, a group of young women with a female vision on Design (The DesignHers of a different pink). We are still in touch to promote the value of women-oriented and women-led Design. Learning Manager The reference point of the course was a Learning Manager, Francesco Mosella. Francesco had the role of overseeing the design, implementation and management of all the e-learning activities. Francesco took great care in providing complete and timely answers to the questions of my classmates. He provided the didactic materials dedicated to each training weekend session through a website designed for the needs of the program. His feedback was accurate and constructive and he was always available and patient. Also, communication between class, teachers and staff was facilitated by Slack App, a useful chat divided into thematic channels. Alumni Network After graduation from the Program, the emotions didn’t end. As you complete the UX Design Essentials Online Program you enter the Alumni Network. Becoming an Alumnus means joining the network of the best digital talents in Europe. With privileged access to events, initiatives, spaces and resources that are so enriching day after day. To be a Tagger Being a Tagger means being part of the largest European community of digital innovators and explorers. Present in 8 countries with 18 campuses, Talent Garden creates new ways to work, learn and connect. And as students we have access to this community.What opportunities come after doing the UX Design Online Course?
The UX Design Online Course had a great impact on my personal and professional journey. The end of the program opened the doors to new opportunities here are just a few. From Service Designer to Lead Project Designer Today I am not just a Service Designer but a Lead Project Designer. I lead teams that design facility management services. Being a designer in charge of a team is a great opportunity to express my talent to serve others. Kitto Grow Thanks to Marco Dussin, Ivano Masiero and Matteo Bertin, who met at the Talent Garden Innovation School, my adventure in the world of Design continues. They created Kitto Grow, a personal path of project co-planning, in which I am participating. Together with other people animated by the same passion, I will be able to focus on my transformation goals for 4 weeks. Graduation Show I am still in contact with my classmates, the Talent Garden Team and the Taggers Community waiting to participate in the most anticipated event of the year: the Graduation Show. A graduation ceremony and party for future digital innovators and we will be given our diplomas.What was your favourite part of the UX Online Course?
Challenge, Design and Team were my favourite parts of the course. Project Group I was able to put into practice the content learned during the live sessions by developing a real project together with some classmates. I worked on a “Design Challenge Project” with remote support from experts working at Sketchin. We had weekly online sessions to check the progress. At the end of the Program, we presented the results of the group project in a live stream to a jury of experts, who evaluated our work by providing timely and constructive feedback. Being part of the project team allowed me to develop hard and soft skills especially team building, time management and problem-solving. A 24-hour Hackathon The last phase of the course involved an intense 24-hour challenge to develop an innovative idea together with a working team using the design techniques learned within 3 months of the program. It was a great moment to challenge yourself and test what you had learned.What advice would you give to new students starting this course?
Talent Garden Innovation School is not just a school, but the home of talents who turn dreams into reality. A good balance between study and work I recommend this course to all those who work and need to continue training in Design in general and User Experience in particular. The weekend online format allows you to flexibly combine your training and job. Develop a Designer mindset Enrolling in the UX Design Essentials online course means immersing yourself in a unique atmosphere, developing a designer mindset, having fun and connecting with other professionals. Training, training, training! Individual training is a very important part of the Program. I recommend to fully experience every moment of this program and even more to dedicate time to individual learning. Studying from the handouts and teaching materials provided after each lesson, working on your project independently and doing remote activities with your team will enhance your learning experience. Apply for the scholarship In cooperation with important partners, Talent Garden offers scholarships to reward talents and future digital professionals. To get your scholarship, you have to participate in a Challenge Day Contest and if you do the best you can, then you’ll be able to win a scholarship that totally covers your tuition fee. This is exactly what happened to me. I did it and I won the scholarship. Job posting You will have the possibility to apply for open positions shared exclusively with Talent Garden by partnering companies of the school (network of over 500 partner companies).
Article updated on: 09 August 2023
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