School of Informatics and Computing students studying human-computer interaction can get an insider’s perspective on the UX sector, thanks to our Jag Chats series.
The virtual chats showcase graduates now working in the user experience industry. Their talks give students the opportunity to learn by experience – the experience of SoIC alumni.
An insider’s perspective
Through the hourlong Jag Chats, students in the HCI master’s program gain unique insights from grads who are now successful full-time professionals in the field of interaction design, working at Apple, Eli Lilly, Facebook, Google, Salesforce, Uber, and other companies.
Speakers share their career advice and professional perspectives. As graduates of the human-computer interaction program, they’re uniquely positioned to connect to students’ experiences.
The virtual sessions offer a space for informal conversation between alumni and those now enrolled in the program. The graduates talk about their careers in design, and interact with students in the Q&A that follows.
Topics include understanding the evolving set of roles that companies structure for UX researchers and designers, as well as:
- Understanding industry trends
- Building technical and interaction design skills
- Creating good portfolios
- Job hunting
- Interview prep
- “A day in the life” of a product designer
Interaction insights
The series was started by Geetha Priya Padmanaban, now a graduate of the program. Akash Uday Rode, a graduate student ambassador enrolled in the HCI master’s program, organizes the Jag Chats currently.
Past Jag Chats have included School of Informatics and Computing graduates:
- Dhanashree Bhat, lead UX designer, Mindgrub
- Taylor Childers, product designer, Splunk
- Joe Dara, product designer, WhatsApp
- Alexander Gountras, senior product designer, Salesforce
- Anurag Goyal, lead user experience designer, Huntington National Bank
- Rahul Jain, interaction designer, Google
- Pushkar Joshi, senior product designer, Uber
- Swapnil Kosarabe, product designer, Unity
- Kartik Rao, interaction designer, Google
- Aditya Sankhe, UX designer, Apple
- Mikaylah Stumbo, human factors engineer, Eli Lilly
All earned their master’s degrees in HCI from the IU School of Informatics and Computing at IUPUI.
Discover more
To learn about upcoming virtual Jag Chats and how to sign up, check the SoIC events calendar. Or contact Akash Uday Rode, or Davide Bolchini, Ph.D., director of SoIC’s Human-Computer Interaction program and chair of the Department of Human-Centered Computing.
Media Contact
Joanne Lovrinic
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