Task 1

My Strengths, Weaknesses and Ambitions

Strengths:

• Quick to learn new things

  • New software I may need to learn won’t take as long to learn as not only do I pick up some things quite quickly, but I also do things in big time chunks, allowing me to cram in as much information as I can in one day. This then lets me complete more work in a given day than other people would, as I have more patience with the work I'm doing and therefore more effort is put into said work.

• I work well in a team (being able to rely on others to get their side of the work done)

  • I like working with others on projects as it means I can rely on them to get their work done and I can focus on my area of expertise, instead of doing lots of things I’m not very good at and being dis-coordinated. This will ultimately help me in the AAA game scene instead of the indie scene as AAA studios need to work together to create a big game, whereas Indie studios still need to work together, but to a much lesser extent, as there are far less people. The amount of people in a studio also impacts this, as lots of people assures me that what I'm doing is just a small cog in a big machine, but still a very vital cog. In an Indie studio with less employees, my small cog is instead a very large cog that powers lots of the game by itself, instead of being with other small cogs. This puts more weight and expectation on my shoulders and doesn't let me relax as much as being a small cog would. However, when there are lots of smaller cogs, it's harder to maintain order and if one cog fails, the whole machine could stop, so each cog needs to be sharp and skilled. With one big cog, everything is created by me and I have full control over how things work. This is OK, but then it's harder for me to get advice and feedback from others, as that one cog would need to be the best and strongest cog, otherwise it may strain under the demands of the machine and break.

• Able to think about design features and flaws

  • This links quite well with self-criticism as since I can see how well a UI functions and how good it feels, I can use that and apply it to my own work, making sure that everything is as good as it can be. Employers will also be looking at how well I am able to take criticism and change aspects of my creations to fit more with the theme and development of the product.

• Can take criticism well to improve on designs

  • This links with my self-critical aspect, as most of the time I agree with other people’s views on UIs. When I don’t however, I can see where they’re coming from and will try out their ideas, even if I don’t end up using them, as sometimes it’s better not to take feedback as it could impact other parts of the project in unforeseen ways in the future. Feedback from the people you work with is great, as they understand the workflow and production process like you do, and so know the limitations and workarounds you may have made  to create the UI.

• I am able to be self-critical of my own work and spot flaws within them

  • This lets me self-analyse and continuously improve my work to be the best it can be. Not only does this help me show off my eye for perfection, but it also helps the consumers, as their experience will be improved, making them enjoy the game more. Employers will want this, as a fanbase that's dedicated to the design of the game will be more hyped for a new game, and are more likely to invest in in-game purchases.

Weaknesses:

• Hard to get used to a new environment

  • A new environment means learning where everything is and utilising the perks it has wisely, which I am not very good at. I don't normally realise something is a perk until someone else shows me, so working in a new environment will take some time to get used to and also take time to enjoy being in.​

• Not very social

  • By going to more events to do with game development, I can meet new people and improve my confidence, allowing me to settle in easier when I do get a job. Improving my social skills by going to game events lets me not only talk to professionals, but also see the inner workings of how certain aspects of the industry works, allowing me to settle in easier knowing some of these things.

• No professional experience

  • I can get a job at a smaller, indie studio first to get the experience needed, as it’s likely that those studios won’t have a designated UI designer, and as such I will be a valuable employee. This can then be used on my portfolio to show employers that I am a person who is passionate and wanting to create great products for the studio.

• Not much software experience

  • Practicing the required software will fix this, as practice makes perfect, and I can learn tricks to do with the software also, like faster ways of performing certain menial tasks. However not having much experience in this software will make it harder to settle in to the studio, as lots of my time would be learning the software instead of using it to make something. By using my time at home to practice and develop skills in the correct software, I can mostly bypass this.

• I don’t have a degree in the area of expertise

  • By going to university, I will be able to get the required degree, as well as work on my portfolio and software skills for the job. Showing the employer that I am devoted to my area of expertise tells them that I would be a worthwhile employee and won't be a risky person to hire.

• No released products for a portfolio

  • By going to university I will have more experience in the required software and therefore will be better and more optimised at using them. This will let me develop passion projects in which I can use as examples of my work, and hopefully release at least one of them to show that I can finish what I start. Without finishing a project, I can't show that I am passionate about games, and it also shows potential employers that I can be non-committal, which is not a good trait, especially in an industry as committed as games.

• I don’t yet have an in-depth understanding of design principles and typography

  • This is easily turned into a strength through practice and learning. I can use YouTube tutorials from ex-designers to take in information about the principles and how typography works, etc. and use it in my portfolio for the job. Researching key principles and theories on how people interact with UIs and how to make good UX designs will put me in good stead for a job in the industry as the people I would be working with will also know this information and it will be easier to converse with them about work and other topics.

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Ambitions:

I am interested in this field of work because I love playing Valve's games, and being part of the team that creates them is one of my greatest desires. As a company, Valve treat each employee with the same level of respect and offer free refreshments. This makes it a safe and homey environment, as anyone is able to work on any project they want to, which lets creativity and freedom flow in the studio. Valve look for people who are breaking new bounds with technology, and since one of my strengths is quick to learn new things, I will be able to pick up the Valve workflow and techniques swiftly. One of these "breaking new bounds" areas is the Half-Life series, which always tries to innovate in its releases. By aiming to work on this series of games, I can innovate in the UI sector, and lay down a foundation on the future of user interfaces for newer games. Because Valve allows its employees to move freely around projects, if I am stumped with a certain task that I am finding difficult to complete, I can ask someone else to help, or leave it for someone else to complete and move onto another project that I know I can help more in. This is how working in a team helps, as being able to transfer my knowledge and skills to different areas is vital for a job at Valve.