Learning is a lifelong pursuit.
I have a deep commitment to curiosity and the power of a learner’s mindset. The way to broaden your perspective and expand your horizon is by asking questions, pushing farther, and choosing to create, instead of cave, when obstacles arise.
Moving from Libraries to UX
About a year ago, I was wrapping up a large grant project for the Marin County Free Library and looking for my next challenge. What could I grow into next?
Throughout my career, I have repeatedly taken on challenges to keep learning and expanding my skills. Coming off creating and implementing two major grant initiatives for the library back-to-back, I was looking for a challenge that would push me to grow in new ways.
When my husband received a promotion that landed us in Salt Lake City, UT, a huge opportunity opened up before me. I started taking classes at the University of Utah and attending meetups to expose myself to new ideas. It was at one of these meetups, that I heard Jared Spool speak on the field of UX.
A lightbulb went off.
Listening to Jared was like listening to a summary of all the best things I love about working in libraries:
- Connecting with users
- Digging deep into problems
- Creating meaningful solutions
- Empowering others
I left that meetup on fire and started conducting research and informational interviews with UX Designers to learn more about the field. I applied and was accepted into the UX Design Immersive program at DevMountain, and graduated with top marks at the end of November 2018.
Since then, I have been working with a variety of stakeholders on projects ranging from wayfinding structures within existing information architecture to website redesigns to increase usability and conversion.
And I have loved every minute of it.
Sara Hathaway 