The UX student wrote a lengthy post on LinkedIn with the goal of getting noticed and hired; six agencies reached out. Now, he's well into his internship at Reodor Studios. - Ever since I accepted the program, I've had clear goals for where I want to end up, he says.
Johnny Huynh Vo (30) is studying UX design at the Oslo campus. The 30-year-old holds a bachelor's degree in Design from the Oslo National Academy of the Arts and has previously worked as a Visual Merchandiser for several years. He discovered that he enjoys designing based on logic and reason, often seeking answers to 'who, what, and why.' Eventually, he understood that many of his ideas stemmed from being able to address human needs.
– With a keen interest in digital design, I wanted to explore my curiosity for problem-solving and use my creativity to help others have a better everyday life. This led me to the path of UX design.
He continues:
– UX design feels like the final piece and the beginning of my journey as a complete designer. With a total of five years of design school on my CV, I'm very ready for the working life.
Got an Internship Through a LinkedIn Post
The UX student has landed an internship at Reodor, an innovation and design agency. Here, skilled individuals work in business, strategy, tech, and a design team consisting of service designers, product designers, and UX designers. He explains that his tasks will vary from project to project, but he will mostly work on identifying user needs and market opportunities. He will also be involved in testing and validating solutions in the market, as well as gaining insights, analysis, business development, UI/UX design, strategy, and technology development.
The plan was to secure an internship during the spring, but over the Christmas break, I decided to go for it and ignore the 'law of Jante.Johnny Huynh Vo
– I love interdisciplinary work, so this is right up my alley.
Before Johnny started the program, he designed his portfolio and had his partner, who is a developer, set it up.
– My task was to keep the portfolio updated and the calendar available. The plan was to secure an internship during the spring, but during the holidays, I decided to go for it and ignore the 'law of Jante.' This led to a lengthy post on LinkedIn on the first day of the new semester, where I loudly shouted about wanting to be seen and hired.
The 30-year-old was contacted by six agencies, including Reodor Studios. He agreed to coffee with all of them in the same week. Then he did some research on all of them, went through lecture notes, and packed his iPad with the portfolio ready.
– It was an intense and exciting process, and it was fun to just dive into it. It was nice to get good responses from everyone, but Reodor felt like the right fit - so I accepted their offer, he says..
He continues:
– It might not be common to have so many choices for an internship, so I think actually ignoring the 'law of Jante' helped. I would recommend everyone to get started even if it's not part of the school program.
📷: Some of Johnny's work, see more in his portfolio.
Developing an App for a Power Provider
Johnny's first project at Reodor is to develop an app for a power provider. Together with a colleague, he designs features and maps out the structure and layout.
– I don't know much about electricity, but in the short time at Reodor, I've already learned a lot. Maybe I can even save some on my electricity bill in the future, he jokes.
– What does a typical workday look like as a UX designer?
– I don't think there's such a thing as a typical workday for any designer, and that's what's fun! But if I were to base it on myself, right now, the day starts with designing in Figma, then I have meetings with clients, developers, and the other members of the design team. There might be some table tennis, even though I lose to everyone else, and then I have to run to school.
I don't think there's such a thing as a typical workday for designers, and that's what makes it enjoyable!Johnny Huynh Vo
Johnny is still studying 100% while working 50%, so he says he has to be good at managing his time. The UX student finds his studies at Noroff to be informative and interesting. He thinks there's a good mix of fictional and real tasks, where students have to conduct their research through interviews and surveys, as well as perform user testing on the target audience.
– I study on campus, so, for my part, being able to go there for both academic and social reasons has played a big role. Additionally, my class has been particularly lucky with an engaged teacher who is cheerful throughout the week.
Johnny also feels that there is a good connection between the industry and the study program. He says they have gone through almost everything in UX design and have become familiar with various tools, methods, and techniques to become a good UX designer. He will graduate this summer and looks forward to working in an industry that is constantly evolving.
– It's a growing industry, so things move quickly, and you really have to keep up. It moves so fast that companies advertising positions don't even know what they're looking for. In other words, we who are educating ourselves as UX designers have to pave the way for each other and define what the UX industry is. I am at least updated and confident enough to contribute, says Johnny.
UX design is a one-year technology education with a focus on user experience design, the next start up is on the 14th of March online. You can apply for a study place until one week after the start of the semester. All our studies are approved by Lånekassen.
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