Staying True to Your Craft: Building a Design Career Around What Matters

Feeling overwhelmed by all the advice out there about what you should be doing in your UX career? Calgary UX is super excited to welcome Spencer Goldade, Product & Design Leader for an honest and practical talk.

Spencer shares that focusing on your values and core skills is key to building a career you enjoy. Perfect for junior designers, career shifters, and anyone questioning if they’re on the right path.

Description:
You’re three years in (or just starting), and everyone has opinions on what you “should” be doing next.
Learn that skill.
AI this, AI that

Whatever other shiny new thing.
But what if the path everyone says is right is actually pulling you away from what’s important? Away from what you enjoy?
In this talk, Spencer explores why identifying your values, and building and protecting your foundation-level skills is the key to building a sustainable, fulfilling career. Using real examples from his own experience, he’ll talk about things like:

• Why chasing trends leaves you hollow (and what to chase instead)
• How to make the decision every junior designer faces: “Does this serve my work or distract from it?”
• Permission you need to hear: You don’t have to be everything to everyone
• Practical tools you can use to get started

Grow in directions that matter to you, so you don’t wake up in 10 years hating where you ended up.
Perfect for:

• Junior folks (0-5 years experience)
• Anyone seeking a career shift up or sideways
• Anyone feeling overwhelmed by industry noise
• Folks wondering if they’re on the “right path”

Length:
1hr + 15 min Q&A