A little less talking

My life, on paper, is the kind of stuff most people plot on vision boards. I’m a Canadian living in California and I’m a UX Designer working at Google. I’ve worked hard for my career. A fun title, working for several big tech companies and yes a nice paycheck too. By all accounts I’ve made it and I’m very grateful for my life. But lately, there has been a whiplash of changes in my industry and I’m not sure what the future looks like for UX design. My hope is that I can grow with the changes and hang in there and help the next generation coming up behind me but If I’m true to myself, I do know that I want to be in a position to set my path and not to fearfully accept the one given to me. As part of that I want to experience the joy of being wildly creative and getting lost in the process at least one more time. 

My first goal was to figure out what the hell I actually wanted to do. Not anything that set me up for some far-off, beige future, but something I could cultivate right now. A side hustle, a passion project, a whole second act – while still working at my job at Google. Once I knew what the prize was, the next step was obvs: grab it!

Use your tools Stephanie

And where, pray tell, does a woman working in tech go when she needs to problem solve? I deployed some design thinking tools, an IA brainstorm partner. If you can’t beat em, use em. I turned to Google’s Gemini. I had just taken some AI training that told us to treat it like a brainstorm partner. "Gemini, Give me ideas for a side hustle, create a creative future retirement fantasy. But here's the deal: no UX. I want new experiences, I want creativity, I want fashion, and (when you get to know me you’ll know how eyeglasses are kind of my thing), I want eyewear!” I also gave it some other constraints. I did not want to spend more than 2 hours a week to start it up and absolutely no bankrupting myself on startup costs. I also needed to be able to do this while still working in my current job. 

Gemini, bless its artificial heart, spit out a list. Some were duds, but then... there it was. “Stephanie, why don’t you be an Eyewear designer?”  Ding, ding, ding we have a winner. 

From Google Play to summer slay

Once I had the idea I was off. Gemini helped me map out a path of next steps including. How do I actually do this? How do you become an eyewear designer in the evenings, weekends and vacations because you’re still very much not done with your current career and going back to school full time is a non-starter? How do I just... dip a pedicured toe into this industry while still maintaining my existing career?

My research journey was less of a straight line and more like a toddler chasing a squirrel. Gemini tossed me some good leads and some decidedly un-fun paths but once the AI dust settled an exciting plan came into shape. There it was gleaming like a brand new set of frames that feels - oh so you… I was going to Florence Italy for a month to study eyewear design at the Polimoda Fashion Institute. This wasn't just a goal met; this was the universe whispering, "Honey, it's time for your close-up."

So here we are. This blog, "This Frameworks," is my unfiltered take on this audacious pivot. The glamour, the grit, the gaffes – it’s all here. Prepare for a show, because darling, this is just the beginning.