A Rollercoaster Ride Through Design - My Journey So Far
November 16, 2024—what a day! The skies are heavy with rain, thunder is booming, and Lightning is lighting up the sky like it’s a big show. And here I am, celebrating not only two full years as a UI designer but also reflecting on the incredible journey that led me here. It’s been a wild ride, and now, as I enter my third and final year of BCA, I can’t help but think about how it all started.
Let’s rewind to when I was in 9th grade. My school introduced a club called Little KITES (Kerala Infrastructure and Technology for Education). Back then, I had no clue what it was all about. But I was curious and joined anyway. Little did I know, that decision would change my life. Through KITES, I got to attend several tech camps and, surprisingly, even had the chance to teach my friends, juniors, and seniors. That experience taught me one of the most valuable lessons: I could be both a student and a mentor. And this was just the beginning.
I started off by dabbling in IoT, experimenting with microcontrollers, but it didn’t exactly give me the excitement I was hoping for. So, I moved on and explored different creative fields—Scratch, Python, Visual Designing, Photography, Web Development, Blender, and TupiTube (remember that?). I tried everything, and although it was overwhelming at times, I eventually focused on what I truly loved: Designing and Web Development.
During my school years, I was the go-to designer—creating cover pages, posters, event banners, and even a school magazine. If it needed a creative touch, I was the one everyone turned to. I also began giving design sessions to my friends and peers. But, here’s the thing: I wasn’t the brightest student academically. I was always somewhere in the middle, around 5th or 6th. But, somehow, I managed to score 96% in my SSLC exams. Who knew?
And then came the pandemic. Suddenly, we were all at home, attending online classes. But instead of just sitting there, I decided to make the most of my time. I dove deep into video editing—Kinemaster, Inshot, Capcut, VN Editor, Node Video Editor, Alight Motion. I explored every tool I could find. And let’s not forget about Pixellab, Picsart, and Canva. I created wedding videos, social media reels, posters, and logos for shops and travel agencies—all for free. My parents, of course, were convinced I was just wasting time on my phone, but little did they know, I was investing in my creativity!
During this time, I also got into some cyber-related stuff, including ethical hacking. It wasn’t all smooth sailing, though. Some of my experiences were a bit scary—imagine learning to hack and then facing the consequences of mistakes. But hey, it was all part of the learning process.
When college started, I walked in with a bit of design experience and some basic knowledge of HTML and CSS. That’s when I stumbled upon Inovus Labs IEDC, a student community at my college. I attended their orientation session, and that’s when I realized something important: the BCA syllabus wasn’t going to cut it in the fast-evolving world. It wasn’t about degrees or textbooks—it was about skills.
Through Inovus, I met some incredible seniors who introduced me to Figma. This was a game-changer. I quickly fell in love with UI/UX design and decided to dive deep into it. I even landed my first internship as a designer with Inovus Labs. Around that time, I bought my first laptop—not a high-end machine, but it did the job. I used it for Photoshop, Illustrator, and Figma Web. I had a rocky start with Illustrator, so I focused on what worked best for me—Figma and Photoshop. Slowly, Figma became my go-to tool for creating posters, logos, and mockups. It was like my second partner in crime.
The internship gave me tons of experience, and I eventually became the Chief Creative Officer (CCO) at Inovus. But to be honest, titles don’t mean much to me. In Inovus, everyone is a peer, learning from each other. It’s a place where I discovered my passion for UI/UX design and got the chance to volunteer as a UI/UX designer for Kerala Police Cyberdome. Later, I also got an internship as a graphic designer at GTech MuLearn.
Through all of this, Inovus gave me countless opportunities to mentor others, lead sessions, and continue learning. Being a designer and a mentor at the same time was one of the most fulfilling experiences of my life. It wasn’t easy, but it was incredibly rewarding.
And now, I’m proud to say I’m the COO of Inovus Labs, where I manage projects, events, and design. All these experiences, both as a designer and a mentor, have helped me develop skills in team management, project management, event coordination, and even development. Yes, I’m a designer at heart, but I also manage a bit of development on the side—JavaScript, Python, React, HTML, CSS, and even Telegram bots. It’s been a crazy but exciting journey.
Looking back, I’ve worn many hats: freelance designer, intern, mentor, volunteer, and COO. And through it all, I’ve learned one thing that stands out: It’s not about the software or the tools you use. Whether it’s Figma, Photoshop, or even some obscure editing app, it’s your creativity and skills that matter most.
As I celebrate my second year in UI design, I also reflect on the years of experimenting, learning, and growing in the broader field of design. Here’s to many more years of creativity, challenges, and growth.
