By Krysten Brenlla
As a former textile designer, Kathleen Finch always had an eye for creating. After graduating college, she worked for huge brands, like Target, and designed some goodies that you may have in your drawer or around your house – think socks, pajamas, and home goods.
However, after digging deeper into the growing field of technology, she decided to take her design skills further. That’s when she discovered BrainStation’s User Experience (UX) Design Bootcamp in Miami, facilitated by the Miami Tech Talent Coalition, a collaboration of employers, academia and community organizations on a mission to fuel Miami’s tech talent pipeline by creating new pathways into tech for residents. It’s part of Miami Tech Works, a multi-year economic development initiative funded by a $10 million Good Jobs Challenge grant from the Economic Development Administration.
“I loved my time as a textile designer, but with all the growth and possibilities there are in tech, I wanted to broaden my horizons and open up where I could apply my design skills,” Finch said. “I was drawn by the problem-solving, and I was excited that BrainStation offered a full-time, in-person cohort. I went to an intro day, and I loved my experience.”
Participants of BrainStation’s UX Design Bootcamp get to work hand-in-hand with professionals, mentors and industry leaders, learning the necessary skills and fundamentals needed to succeed in the industry. The program teaches participants problem structuring, creative solution finding, and the use of tools like user research, personas, and empathy mapping. It aims to help participants develop a UX strategy and design prototypes, while also helping the participant learn how to understand the user, and execute new ideas.
When Finch participated in the 12-week, full-time program back in September 2023, she worked with her cohort on several different team projects. Additionally, she worked on independent projects and a capstone project leading up to graduation. For her capstone, Finch focused on creating an educational app for teachers, specifically tackling the decrease of funding in Florida’s public schools for art by displaying the benefits that art can bring to students through the use of technology.
“I wanted to create something that helps students learn critical and creative thinking through art,” Finch said. “Through the BrainStation Bootcamp, I created an app that was a resource for teachers to find creative, interactive projects that directly relate to the core school curriculum.”
Since participating in the program, Finch has worked as a teaching assistant for the cohort that followed hers, where she was able to review other designers’ work and mentor incoming students.
Finch also accepted a job opportunity from NextEra Energy, a Fortune 200 company that invests in clean energy throughout North America, as a UX Designer on their artificial intelligence (AI) team, where she gets to work on different AI tools for NextEra Energy’s internal teams.
“Working for NextEra Energy has been a really great experience,” Finch continued. “It’s really rewarding to continue learning UX design this way.”
For the future, Finch hopes to continue growing her experience in UX design. She credits the team at BrainStation for their support and preparation in the industry beyond the classroom.
“It helps to feel supported and that you have a team behind you that’s cheering you on, and looking forward to your success,” Finch continued.
And, if you’re someone looking to break into the field of tech, product design, or UX design, or you’re looking to start a Bootcamp soon, Finch says to embrace the uncertainty and ambiguity.
“Just get started, and embrace that beginner mind,” Finch continued. “Something they said a lot in the BrainStation Bootcamp that I use now is ‘done is better than perfect.’”
“There’s a lot that’s going to be thrown at you that you have to figure out on your own, and that’s really challenging, but it helps you grow – embrace the uncertainty, and do the best you can. You’ll learn a lot that way.”
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For employers: How to get involved in the Miami Tech Talent Coalition
Your involvement can make a significant difference in shaping the future of Miami’s tech industry, creating a vibrant and sustainable tech talent ecosystem. Together, participants can continue to build Miami as an innovative hub and a desirable destination for businesses and tech talent.
- Join the Coalition here. Employers can also specify a work group they are interested in.
- Attend a meeting: The next meeting is August 21, 2024. Register here.
- Stay connected with the coalition’s progress and updates by signing up for their newsletter here, reviewing the website here, and following Miami Tech Works on LinkedIn and Instagram.
READ MORE IN REFRESH MIAMI:
- The data is in: We have tech talent, but are not retaining it. Now what?
- To fuel talent pipeline, Miami Tech Works launches pilot programs, releases talent gap report & more
- Local teacher excels in 4Geeks bootcamp and lands new opportunity in data science and machine learning
- One year later, INIT soars through Miami with new chapters, and opportunities in tech for community
- Human ingenuity, inspiration, a call to action: Miami Tech Talent Coalition takes the stage at eMerge Americas
- From classroom to career: FIU student lands internship at World Kinect via new Tech Talent Academy
- Seize the opportunities: This former MDC student landed a full-time cybersecurity job at AWS while still in school
- From pastry chef to a tech career with Miami-Dade County, this MDC graduate is taking the data analytics world by storm
Refresh Miami is a proud partner of Miami Tech Works.
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