Nicole Condon

What motivated you to pursue studies at university?

I wanted to change careers and study abroad. I considered a few different routes. I realised that for the type of expertise that I want, an MSc was most appropriate.

I also wanted to meet more people. I wanted to have classmates again and meet people who work in the academic sector that fuels the industry I'm interested in.

Instead of getting a certificate online that I assume would've been superficial, I wanted a more comprehensive education that included making connections with others. After beginning my career after my undergraduate studies, I realised that networking is often vital in finding an ideal job.

Why did you choose City St George's?

I applied to about five schools in the United Kingdom. I received acceptance offers from all of the schools I applied to. City St George's was my top choice in the application process because its campus is very close to central London and the academics in my course seem especially passionate about the material.

However, I received an unconditional offer and even a scholarship, both of which were very pleasant surprises. Since City St George's was my top choice throughout the application process and the school invested in my education without even having to ask, it was a clear choice for me to accept City St George's offer.

How are you funding your studies – did you secure any financial support?

I am funding my studies in three ways. Most of my funding is coming from federal student loans from the United States.

This was actually a really important aspect of choosing a school in the United Kingdom. I only seriously considered schools that would accept federal loans from my home country.

The next way is through a scholarship that City St George's gave me that became active during my second term of study. The third way is through my personal funds I have from working my previous job. I began saving money in December 2022 when I started applying to universities for my MSc.

What has been your favourite module or aspect of your course so far?

I loved INM316 Web Design and Development. That has been my favourite module in my course so far. I learned HTML, CSS, and Javascript and the lecturer was great at teaching us.

It was the first time in my course that I had a module where everyone felt like a beginner so I wasn't nervous about being confused or asking questions.

The class was also organised to give the students hands-on practice every week, which was a great way to remember the concepts. Even though the class was in the morning, I attended every single lecture (even with looming deadlines) because I thoroughly enjoyed it and looked forward to it.

What knowledge and skills has your course helped you develop?

I gained skills in working in design software like Figma. I never used it before attending City St George's. I also learned HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

I was able to conduct usability testing a few times in my course. I've created wireframes and prototypes. I've used the user-centered design approach. I've also been introduced to the basics of the Unity video game engine. I've been introduced to design guidelines and principles.

I also learned about information architecture, I've written gaming documents, and I've learned to conduct naturalistic observations. I'm learned about usability metrics and how to measure them. I've also learned how conduct User experience projects while in a group and on a team.

What opportunities and experiences has your School offered you so far?

My course offers the students a lot of seminar and talks. These are really nice. These can be related to the industry or just our course. For example, we've had a seminar about our final-project supervision and we had another one about finding and applying for internships.

Both of which were really helpful. Staff members from my course will also invite people in the industry to give talks about what professional life is like once we graduate and finish the MSc.

These have been insightful. Staff members and my classmates have also organised social events for us to relax outside of university and our course responsibilities.

What services within your School or the University have you used during your studies? In what ways was it helpful?

I have had a meeting with the Careers and employability Team, which was really helpful. I did a CV review with one of the team members.

Once taking the advice, I began using my updated CV to apply for internships in my field. I also utilised the Student Health and Wellness services.

It was really beneficial to receive expert advice and support in the neurodivergent screening process. As a result, I now have tools to help me for the duration of my course to help me do better academically.

What are your career plans and how has City St George's prepared you for them?

Although I enjoyed some of the job roles I was in, I wanted a change. I was introduced to usability testing in 2021 and I became interested in the method and what it was used to study. I really wanted to conduct these tests myself so I pursued an MSc to gain the qualification to do so.

I want to work in the User Research side of the user experience of products. Since I studied psychology at undergraduate level, I feel that user research is just an extension of studying people.

This time around, I'm also having to learn about computer systems and how to design them to make them better for users. The staff and faculty as City St George's have caught me up to speed within a few months, even without me having a computer science background.

I have been introduced to design software and now feel comfortable using them in my own projects. This is a key skill that many employers are looking for when hiring for the positions I'm interested in. I was also introduced HTML, CSS, and Javascript.

The guidance provided by City St George's career services has been significant in refining my professional profile, from creating an impressive CV to exploring internship opportunities in front-end development.

As I approach the completion of my MSc programme, I feel prepared with a skill-set that sets me up well for a career at the intersection of user research and design.

With a solid foundation in psychology, supplemented by technical proficiency and practical experience, I am eager to embark to join the user research industry as a professional in forming exceptional user experiences and contributing to the evolution of digital interfaces.

If you could do any job related to your subject in the world, what would it be and why?

Ideally, I would work as either a User Researcher or a Front-End Web Developer, or both. Throughout the duration of my MSc program, the modules relevant to these fields have not only been enlightening but also deeply enjoyable, solidifying my conviction in pursuing a career path that intersects technology, user experience, and design.

Working in a User Research position was the goal before studying at City St George's. After I was introduced to the methodologies and practices associated with this position during my studies and this goal has maintained throughout the duration of my course.

I am interested by this possibility of studying user behaviour and interaction with digital interfaces. The modules dedicated to user research have provided insights into the processes involved in gathering, analysing, and interpreting user data.

From conducting usability tests to crafting comprehensive user personas, each aspect of the research process has served to deepen my understanding of human-centred design principles.