Without a doubt my experience of going into my first meetup was phenomenal. From seeing at how people connected with each other, how people in the audience expressed their concerns about a certain aspect of the demo being shown, and the fact that presenters were willing to take critical feedback form their audience is something that I won’t forget.
An aspect of this meetup that really impressed me was that people were relaxed, outgoing, and willing to go out of their comfort zone to connect with other peers in the industry. One thing that stood out to me was that as soon as I got in, I was greeted with the scene of people bundled up together talking and socializing like they had known each other for years, even though this was their first time meeting each other.
Secondly, one thing that I also liked about this meetup was the location where it was held. The Vaco facility blew my mind. From my perspective as a person who works a warehouse job, I can say that the staff and the working environment as a whole are built around putting the employees first and ensuring that the staff has a healthy and wonderful environment to work in. I also liked how the venue had a theme to it. Which included the use of white walls and green plants along the facility. Bringing the idea that Vaco is a company that focuses on maintaining a clean environment and image for its employees and visitors.
In the meeting portion, I liked the fact that the person who started the meeting was participating along with everyone else in the room. Either by asking the person who was presenting their demo, how things worked. Or by following a statement being made by an audience member. I also like the idea that the main presenter was able to get the audience to talk about what was being shown on screen. This showed me how important it is to be able to communicate proficiently in a professional setting just like this. Lastly, I also liked the fact that people in the audience were able to use some of their issues to be able to ask the presenter questions regarding how they were going to be approaching that problem from now on.
In conclusion, I learned that the things that I am currently learning in my UX class are actively being implemented and being used in the UX field. Things like Information Architecture, the importance of making a product accessible to people with disabilities, and making sure that the overall user experience is easy to use and follow. I also learned that user feedback is really important when it comes to designing a product that will be used by many different kinds of people.
Lastly, one thing that I will walk away from this meetup with would be the fact that people in the UX Design field are people who are outgoing, willing to help, and when needed will give you the push and critical feedback that they might feel you need to hear. Most UX Designers are people who are willing to connect with you no matter if it’s your first time seeing them. This is something that I liked because it helps establish the idea that the professional world doesn’t have to be always serious and monotone. But that can also be fun and laid back from time to time.
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