Solid College Experience Leads to a Better User Experience

On track to earn bachelor’s degrees in digital media arts (interactive design and media concentration) and English (creative writing concentration) in just two years, Sara brought an associate degree and passion for user experience (UX) to the Bluff from Downington High School in the Philadelphia suburbs.  

A running start

Sara earned her associate degree in liberal arts at 17 years old through a dual enrollment program with Delaware County Community College, completing the three-year program in just two. 
 
“It was a lot of work but definitely worth it because it gave me a lot of life skills people my age don’t have,” said Sara. “It taught me about college workload and how college works and I’m really confident in classes now because of it.”
 
As Sara searched for a bachelor’s degree program, she found that many colleges and universities didn’t have her desired major or wouldn’t accept her transfer credits. Duquesne offered both. 
 
“Duquesne evaluated my credits and came in with the best-case scenario,” she said. “It was a no-brainer.”
 
The digital media arts major brings together design, human-technology interaction, digital media and information technology. Coursework allows students to design websites, mobile apps, interfaces, and user experiences, including locative media, wearable electronics and more.
 
Students also have access to the Digital Experience and Prototyping Lab where they gain hands-on access to equipment like 3D printers and augmented reality. 
 
Sara likes to describe the UX field in layman’s terms. 
 
“When you open Instagram, everyone knows what it looks like, the placement of the icons and what they do when you touch them,” she said. “Understanding how people interact with screens—what goes through their brain, where their eyes are—that’s the kind of stuff I figure out when I’m designing apps or websites.” 

Curiosity, tenacity and resources to make it happen

Classwork has been interactive and immersive. Sara is grateful for the opportunity to combine technical skills and soft skills required for UX work, like understanding human experience, emotion, accessibility and contextual awareness. 
 
“My generation specifically spends our whole life on social media and computers and technology—we don’t remember a time without it. It’s been integrated in education and general activity and everything we do,” said Sara. “People want it to be seamless, so it’s important to think from a user’s perspective and consider if someone who is not familiar with technology is going to be able to understand it.”
 
Sara has designed and programmed interfaces and recently started a 3D-modeling project to “reinvent texting” so it’s safer to communicate while on-the-go.
 
“The idea is glasses where you can know and see you’re texting, but you also see the real-world and background behind you,” said Sara. “Right now, we’re 3D-printing physical prototypes and designing interfaces.”
 
Sara is grateful for the mentorship of Associate Professor Dr. Bill Gibbs, who walks alongside students and leads a creative, exciting classroom.
 
“He’s very well-versed and knows exactly what he’s talking about and how to explain it so it always clicks for me,” said Sara. 

Busy online… and offline

When Sara’s not working behind the screen, she’s gearing up to support new student orientation in the fall, dabbling in online Spanish lessons and immersing herself in literature through a campus book club. She also supports her father’s photography business by running his social media and designing his website and logos. 
 
Sara is certain that two years on the Bluff will fly by, and she’s already planning for what’s next. The combination of her majors has prepared her for anything, and she’ll be in high demand by employers who value her combination of technical skills and a solid writing background. 
 
“I can do my own copywriting for web projects, and writing is a passion project of mine,” said Sara. “Ideally I’ll work as an entry-level UX/UI designer and use my English major to go hand-in-hand.”