Lukeisha, A few things come to mind...
First, find out if there is a local UPA (Usability Professionals Association), CHI (Computer Human Interaction), or IxDA chapter in your area. These organizations usually have monthly meetings which include topical presentations that will get you exposed to the general area of user experience. You don't mention whether your current company invests in interaction design and or usability. If they do at all, you should try to discuss your interests with your manager and see if you can become more closely involved. There are activities such as requirements gathering, stakeholder interviews, or competitive reviews that a business analyst can do that are actually within the realm of the user experience lifecycle, and will help get you going in that direction. If your company doesn't know how to spell usability, then you may want to look for a job at a company that has an existing User Experience team. This will give you a chance to work with interaction design professionals and slowly become involved in user experience activities. Another option is to look for a smaller company where roles are more flexible, and you could begin taking on some UX activities and perhaps eventually transition to that role. Your other options are to take classes in interaction design or usability, or pursue a certificate or a Master's program. If you choose this route, you could pursue internships or assistantships that would allow you to gain experience while you're in school. However, this is only if you can handle a year or two of poverty. As far as the 'ideal' background for an interaction designer/user experience professional... I'm not sure that there is one, but most people in the field come from technical, visual design, and/or psychology backgrounds. Most UE professionals have made a transition from another area, so you are in good company. What you should keep in mind is that you have to make the transition gradually. If you tell us where you are located, I'm sure you can find people in the group to give you the scoop on their local usability community. -eva ________________________________________________________________ *Come to IxDA Interaction08 | Savannah* February 8-10, 2008 in Savannah, GA, USA Register today: http://interaction08.ixda.org/ ________________________________________________________________ Welcome to the Interaction Design Association (IxDA)! To post to this list ....... [EMAIL PROTECTED] Unsubscribe ................ http://www.ixda.org/unsubscribe List Guidelines ............ http://www.ixda.org/guidelines List Help .................. http://www.ixda.org/help
