Just under a year ago I started teaching classes over at General Assembly in London. Since then I’ve taught 15 classes with them, here and in New York. Getting involved with General Assembly is one of the best things I’ve done.
I never thought that standing up in front of a group of people, passing on what I’ve learnt to others would be as rewarding as it is. I didn’t think it wouldn’t be. I simply never thought about that I would enjoy it as much as I do, or that it would give so much back.
Meeting and working with people is one of the aspects I enjoy most about what I do. As much as I love the hands on aspects of actually defining a product, my passion for doing what I do lies in the broader picture. Starting with having conversations, understanding the needs and aspects that matters to people, be they clients or users, and then translating what you find out into an experience that is well thought through, and with lovely, delightful touches showing that both the bigger picture and the small details have been paid careful attention to.
I knew I already loved this when it came to defining products, but what being an instructor at General Assembly has taught me is that I love doing the same when it comes to translating what can be a complex subject into something easily understandable and making the experience of learning about it fun, engaging and above all useful.
Through my classes at General Assembly I’ve had so many interesting conversations and met fantastic people. There are definitely days where I think that I would rather go home and relax than stand in front of a group of people all looking at me and paying attention to what I’m saying. But, as soon as I get started that feeling is completely gone. It becomes about story telling and interacting with the group, helping the participants work through the exercises, answer questions and discuss aspects I’ve covered, or general UX and design related topics. Those parts makes my teaching evenings and after each time I walk away with a smile on my face, looking forward to the next time around.
Image source: www.flickr.com/photos/kalexanderson/5984187563
