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As we navigate our way through a global pandemic, everything we know about technology\u2014and our relationship with it\u2014is being questioned. Discussions around virtual reality (VR) are blossoming as we look to new ways that we can work, learn, and have shared experiences online. Just ask CareerFoundry UX design graduate, mentor, and VR specialist Cordula Hansen PhD<\/a>.<\/p>\n In our latest alumni spotlight, we (virtually) sat down with Cordula to talk about her journey from sculptor, to UX designer, to VR extraordinaire\u2014and why we can expect VR to be a fixture in our lives a lot sooner than we might think\u2026<\/p>\n Like most CareerFoundry students, I was thinking about a career change\u2014though I prefer to think of it as more of an evolution. My undergraduate degree was in fine art, specifically sculpture. I then worked in several creative jobs before going back to school to do a Masters, which then spiraled into a Ph.D. To finance my studies, I took up a job as a teacher of art history. I started getting interested in design, from the process to the theoretical aspects. Before long, I was teaching design myself.<\/p>\n Through teaching design, I began learning more about UX and digital design. To solidify my knowledge, I enrolled in some UX design summer schools and\u2014with the help of some facilitators from the industry\u2014organized a few workshops for my students. I started a research group for design and social innovation and got super interested in design\u2019s practical aspects. I wanted to hone the practical skills that could complement my theoretical knowledge. That\u2019s when I knew I wanted to take it further.<\/p>\n I didn\u2019t want to go back to studying full-time at university\u2014I needed something that I could do alongside my day job. When I came across the UX Design Program<\/a>, I was struck by the one-to-one interaction with mentors, tutors, and career advisors. It felt like there would be a whole team dedicated to my success. I also liked the emphasis on the design process. I wanted to learn how UX works in real life, so I knew I\u2019d made the right decision.<\/p>\n Once I\u2019d completed the program, I took the Frontend Development Specialization<\/a>. I had no experience in web development, so it was completely new. Having that specialization bridged the gap between coding and design\u2014I wasn\u2019t afraid of code anymore!<\/p>\n Since CareerFoundry, I\u2019ve been working full-time as a freelance Virtual Reality (VR) designer, as well as mentoring for CareerFoundry. In 2018 I decided to take a career break, and I noticed that VR headsets were becoming more commercially available. That\u2019s when I felt like it was the right time to delve into the field. There\u2019s so much innovation happening in VR, so it\u2019s been fascinating.<\/p>\n It all started back in art school. Sculpting made me start thinking about digital technologies, but that was back in the later 90\u2019 s, so the field was just emerging. The render technology required to digitally create things in 3D wasn\u2019t accessible in university back then, so we forgot about it for the time being. The idea of spatial design would resurface later on in my research work. I remember a friend saying to me, \u201cdid you know you can buy headsets now?\u201d and I was like, \u201cwhere? Take all my money!\u201d That\u2019s when I realized there\u2019d been more of an investment into virtual reality, and it was the right time to join the field.<\/p>\n When you watch a movie, you know that what you see in front of you isn\u2019t real. You\u2019re not pretending that you\u2019re actually in the movie; there\u2019s a clear separation between the movie and yourself. But with VR, the idea is that you\u2019re actually there in the space. You use things like headsets and trackers to simulate where you are in this computer-generated environment. Proper VR is also supposed to be interactive; you interact with your environment. It\u2019s like a computer game, but the environment is all around you.<\/p>\n There\u2019s an application called tilt brush<\/a>, which is what a lot of VR designers use. It allows you to draw and design things digitally in 3D that you can then interact with in real life. It was a great starting point for me\u2014it\u2019s really addictive! The idea that you can walk around something you\u2019ve designed digitally, for me, was a total eye opener. So I played around with that a lot.<\/p>\n It\u2019s an ongoing learning curve. There were two things I needed to learn; the first one was how to merge UX design with VR. I knew that there were so many issues when designing VR applications, and a solid UX process was essential. Still, there are some pretty big differences. For example, when wireframing for VR, you\u2019re wireframing and sketching for things that are all around you. Instead of wireframing on one piece of paper, you might, for example, put post-it notes all around you to see if you could physically reach them. That\u2019s when I realized just how complex these processes were. The second thing I had to learn was the technology\u2014the applications where you import your content and set the interactions. That\u2019s what brings it all together.<\/p>\n There\u2019s also a lot of theatre involved in VR. Instead of user mapping with pen and paper, you actually have to stand up and act things out, physically moving around the space to figure out the user journey. As a former sculptor, I really enjoyed that aspect.<\/p>\n One project I was recently involved in was the creation of a blockchain browser in VR. We had a client in Malta, and he\u2019d commissioned a team to develop a data visualization tool for blockchain. I was brought on to help define the user needs and pinpoint the design problem. I had to quickly get up to speed with blockchain, which was a challenge\u2014but so much fun.<\/p>\n Right now, I\u2019m creating some content on a VR platform called Somnium Space<\/a>. It\u2019s an experimental playground for VR creators. A couple of weekends ago, we had a VR burning man festival, and I got to make costumes for the avatars and do other cool stuff. I love to experiment so I can hone my skills. There\u2019s a lot to learn!<\/p>\n VR is definitely a double-edged sword\u2014it\u2019s exciting and scary! There\u2019s so much potential with remote learning and education, we\u2019ve barely scratched the surface of what we can do. We can already see things like 3D media being incorporated into mobile apps, so innovation is already happening there. To be able to have that immersive entertainment experience during this pandemic is super exciting. There\u2019s a lot of things you can do in VR that you can\u2019t do in real life, like defying gravity\u2014so from a creative point of view, the possibilities are endless. Also, things like hazard training and risk management scenarios that allow you to practice something dangerous in a simulator\u2014like diffusing bombs, or engineering at height.<\/p>\n The flip side of VR is that it isn\u2019t very accessible to wider audiences. There\u2019s an investment threshold that you have to cross, and in terms of the ergonomics, it\u2019s nowhere near where I think it could be in the future. We\u2019re always asking, does the technology come first, or does the user come first? Who is this really benefiting? Are we making it as accessible as we could? So there are a lot of discussions happening there.<\/p>\n For designers, you have to be prepared to create your own job. There\u2019s loads of work, but not so many jobs at the moment. You have to be prepared to create your own value proposition and be willing to work on multiple projects. Also, learning to code is a great step. I think that good designers can always create their own prototypes\u2014you have to be able to talk to developers in their own language. If you\u2019re happy to work freelance, and you\u2019re up for the challenge, it\u2019s so worth it!<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like a step-by-step intro to find out if a career in design, development, data, or digital marketing is right for you\u2014sign up here for a free short course<\/a> in the field of your choice.<\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to speak to an expert program advisor for free about how you can get a new job in tech\u2014connect with us here<\/a>, or check out our full career-change courses.<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" After a career change into UX design, here\u2019s how Cordula found her feet in the burgeoning field of VR…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":19,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":""},"class_list":["post-16267","magazine","type-magazine","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":{"meta_title":"Alumni Spotlight: How Studying UX Design Led Me To Specialize In Virtual Reality","meta_description":"UX design graduate Cordula Hansen talks us through her journey from artist to UX designer\u2014and, more recently, VR specialist.","meta_image":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/ux-cordula-hansen-phd-meta-1.png","magazine_header_text":"Take the first step in transforming your career and start learning Design or Development for free today!","magazine_buttons_header":"Click on the topic that interests you most","header_image":"https:\/\/careerfoundry.inbearbeitung.de\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/header_banner-340.png","cookie_contact_set_magazine_header_text":"Curious about becoming a UX designer? 5-10 months is all it takes\u2014find out how by speaking to your program advisor today.","cookie_contact_set_magazine_buttons_header":"Click below to arrange your call \u2013 it only takes two minutes!","embeds_code":"Hi Cordula, thanks for joining us! To start, talk us through your background before becoming a CareerFoundry student.<\/h4>\n
What made you decide to take the CareerFoundry UX Design Program?<\/h4>\n
What\u2019ve you been up to since finishing the program?<\/h4>\n
When did you first develop an interest in Virtual Reality?<\/h4>\n
How would you describe VR to someone who\u2019s unfamiliar with it?<\/h4>\n
What were your next steps when exploring this field?<\/h4>\n
What other skills, tools, and technologies did you have to learn to become a VR specialist?<\/h4>\n
What types of VR projects have you been involved in?<\/h4>\n
What excites you about the future of VR?<\/h4>\n
What advice do you have for someone wanting to work in the field of VR?<\/h4>\n
What You Should Do Now<\/strong><\/h4>\n