Grace's Journey: From Patient Care to UX Professional

After working as a patient coordinator helping patients navigate the heathcare system, Grace Gwe discovered that UX design combined her strengths in communication, problem-solving, and creativity. Through UX Academy, she gained confidence with the help of supportive mentorship and community engagement. Now a UX designer at software consultancy In Time Tec, she works on a range of client projects across the agency. We spoke with her about discovering her passion for UX, the impact of feedback and mentorship, and how persistence and adaptability shaped her job search.

What were you were doing before you started UX Academy, and what motivated the switch to UX? 

I was working as a patient coordinator at New York Presbyterian and also doing a bit of research. I also worked on creating brochures for them, so there was a design element. That’s actually what drove me to have a sense of designing—I’ve always loved creating things. 

Something else that stood out for me was that I found I enjoyed being the in-between for people and media, to create a connection. I’ve had an education component as well in prior roles, which involved taking a lot of medical terminology and simplifying it so an audience would understand the content better. So when I discovered UX, there were some similar concepts, and it seemed like something I’ve always wanted to do. 

Did you start out with UX Academy Foundations? 

I did—UX Academy Foundations was great. I loved the hands-on skill-building when it came to designing for something I had never really learned about before. I had never used Figma—I was starting from zero, only ever having used tools with preset templates before, like Canva. For someone who didn’t come from a design background, it was amazing. 

For someone who didn’t come from a design background, [UX Academy Foundations] was amazing.

Also my mentor, Francis Pujols, I loved him. He was very kind, but also detail-oriented—he gave me the advice that one pixel can mean a lot, which is something I still take seriously! He helped guide me towards UX Academy as well. 

How was your experience throughout UX Academy? 

My mentor, Krisztian Dutka, was great in UX Academy as well. He was challenging in his feedback, but that helped me to think critically, which made me grow in my skillset and as a designer. I told him I wanted to hear what I could be doing better, and if there were things that he saw in my work that weren’t industry standard. He took that direction when it came to reviewing my work, and it’s helped a lot in my current role—it’s good to be transparent. 

My mentor was challenging in his feedback, but that helped me to think critically, which made me grow in my skillset and as a designer.

I also loved the Group Crits. I went once per week, and if I could go back and do it again, I would have gone more if I could! In my role, we do a lot of presenting, and so the strengthening of those presentation skills was really, really helpful. It was great to be able to practice both giving and receiving feedback. 

Can you tell me a bit about your experience looking for a role? 

I had a unique experience because during my second week of Career Services, I discovered I was pregnant! So I stepped away for quite some time, meaning it was a different journey than most. But when I came back to it, I really dove into different possibilities and what that could look like—contract, part-time, agency work—and explored my options. 

I submitted a lot of applications—I’ll be transparent that I applied a lot, and it was a challenge! But it was also a learning experience in terms of how I could enhance my portfolio, better align my case studies with the industry standard, and how to improve as a designer overall. I found that emphasizing my strengths and just being myself 110% made a positive difference. 

Tell me a bit about the role you’re working in now. 

I work for an agency called In Time Tec, which I love, and I’m currently handling two different projects. We provide software solutions for a large variety of clients. So for instance, my one project is for the University of Idaho, who came to our company and asked us to build an online platform for them, which is basically an end-to-end project and process. 

I really enjoy the collaborative nature of my role: being able to align the users with stakeholders, and being able to work with the developers. Everyone has their own process and thinking pattern, and it’s really interesting to see how all of those different elements come together to make a final project. It’s amazing to me! 

Do you have any thoughts or advice for those looking to make a UX career change? 

I would also say be open to learning new things—learn new tools, watch YouTube videos, keep exploring. Everyone’s journey is different—someone who wants to work for an agency or a smaller company is going to have a varied experience from someone who wants to work for somewhere like Amazon or Google. It’s just a unique path with unique challenges, so be open and willing to learn. Also, lean into where your skillsets, interests, and prior experience set you apart!