Real-Life Communication
"A great idea is nothing if you can't communicate it!" says Jennifer
Linnane. She is a product designer.
When you think about industrial
design, you might get images in your mind of sitting at a computer calculating
equations or in front of a sketchbook creating interesting drawings -- the
technical aspects of the career.
But as you read through these next
paragraphs, see if you can pick out some other non-technical job duties or
skills of the career that you might not have thought of:
"The most
satisfying times tend to be when I feel that I've really dug into a problem,
explored it completely and have found a window for innovation. I've worked
on a tremendous number of products that didn't make it to market," says Linnane.
"Also,
due to the time it takes a design to get to market, it's old news to you by
the time the masses are seeing it. For those reasons, I tend to value the
process and the interaction part of design more than the material outcome.
"A
fulfilling project for me has taught me something new, has given me a vehicle
to improve someone's life, has introduced me to some new people and has given
me something to be proud of.
"A highlight in my career that I value
is when I was nominated for and received a local design award for my contribution
to the design community of New England. To be acknowledged by my peers for
my efforts as a team player and community builder has meant more to me than
any design award for a particular product could. That's not to say I'm not
interested in the awards -- they're a great sense of accomplishment that I
look forward to as well!
"There's nothing like being a player on a
development team and helping to open a client's eyes to a technology or concept
that's readily accessible in another industry, that they were perhaps unaware
of until their interaction with you. That cross-pollination and interdisciplinary
respect of other players' expertise is what gets you to the most innovative
and promising solutions."
What are some of the non-technical skills
described above?