Post-Graduation Plans

Upon graduating from UMBC with a Bachelors in Digital Product Development and Design, I plan to work full-time in the product design industry for at least one year to strengthen my technical web development/design thinking and continue building my portfolio. Current job listings in product design require an online portfolio and strong foundational skills. For example, a product designer role at Quora requires “technical competence in front-end technologies” (like Javascript and React) and “demonstration of visual design skills and attention to detail” ⁸. The foundational skills I learn set by my degree plan, particularly classes in visual design theories and management basics, will be applicable to developing industry digital products. Because product design includes job fields like UI/UX design, interaction design, and Human-computer interaction, I plan to keep my search within these related fields.⁹

After working in the industry for at least one year, I plan on applying to graduate programs in Human-Computer Interaction. Doing so will further my understanding of both effective design processes and the social impact of technology on people. Programs that have such user-centered curriculums include Carnegie Mellon’s MHCI¹⁰ , University of Washington’s Masters in HCDE¹¹, and University of Maryland’s HCIM¹². The only core requirements for these programs is a bachelor's degree, a personal statement, and a strong eagerness to learn about design. I will also consider programs that take a more entrepreneurial and hardware focus such as UPenn’s Masters in Integrated Product Design(IPD). Programs like IPD consider all aspects of human-centered design thinking: the business, engineering, and design. ¹³ Aligning with my long-term goal of one day being a product manager, this will broaden my horizons of designing products that are not just digital but also physical in form.

If I am unable to find employment post-graduation, I plan to apply to related fellowships and apprenticeships that accept recent graduates. Doing so will still allow me to build my skills in a professional setting. Examples include NYCOpportunity’s Product Management Fellowship and Apprenticeship,¹⁴ and Coding It Forward’s Civic Digital Fellowship. ¹⁵ This will grow my “expertise in product development and management, design, digital services, and public policy” ¹⁴ and prepare me to be a strong candidate for full-time positions.