Episode 3
THE CHOICE
My father gifted me a smartphone on my 14th birthday, and it was also the first phone I owned, so I was excited and delighted. I was curious and mischievous; I started downloading the first applications for my new phone, including movie-watching, shopping, English learning, and music applications, which were essential to me. I chose Spotify as a platform to search for relaxation and calm since I am a person who cannot live without music.
.png)
.png)
Spotify has an irresistible attraction, unlike any other digital music platform, such as Zing MP3 or Nhaccuatui. It has great sound quality, excellent listening experience, and AI technology that recommends outstanding songs, and what impressed me the most was its software interface. Using dark green as the dominant color immediately affects human emotions because it stimulates positive emotions, reduces stress and unhappiness, and is exceptionally suitable for a music application. Similarly, Shopee is a typical example that caught my attention when accessing one. I'd like to know why I can only shop online on Shopee and not click the purchase button on any other shopping platform. How can the fathers of these applications satisfy users and make them use their ones? I learned about the concept of user experience and user interface design - UI/UX Design, but I have a particular fondness for colors and user interface design.
I joined an English club called LOTAEC in grade ten and worked there way up to becoming Vice President. Despite having worked in various positions, my passion for design remains strong. I enjoy expressing my creativity through media publications, playing with colors, and improving my design skills. Once, I only took two hours to complete the January identity kit for the club's fanpage. My designs are highly praised, and I am always willing to take on design tasks and complete them quickly. I am a freelance designer for a dance brand and have received positive feedback from satisfied customers.
.png)
.png)
UI/UX
DESIGN
I sought to enhance my design skills by mastering professional software and advanced mindsets in UI/UX Design. I decisively turned to YouTube for bare knowledge and began self-practice to explore my interests in color, design, icons, and layout. This newfound passion led me to participate in a Science and Technology competition, where I created an application to support the community during the COVID-19 pandemic. Despite the judges' praise for the application's color and elements, they acknowledged that it lacked creativity, and I realized that self-learning alone would not suffice. I recognized the need for a formal educational program and a professional training environment in this field.
Few universities in Viet Nam teach comprehensive courses on application and website design, specifically UI/UX Design. Students can only search for online courses such as MindX and FEDU Design if they want to learn. These short courses provide limited knowledge, and universities do not offer specialized teaching in this field. Fortunately, I found FPT University with the Digital Art & Design major, offering specialized instruction in Interaction Design.
.png)
Firstly, the university's training program covers all specialized subjects over nine semesters. I particularly liked the "Interaction Design'' subject in the fourth semester because it is a specialized one that is vital for my future career.
.png)
Secondly, I am highly impressed with the university's luxurious facilities. In February of this year, I had the opportunity to visit FPT University, and I was amazed by the spacious campus with trees, fully equipped classrooms, a bright library with many study areas, and especially the multi-functional art studio in the exhibition room displaying the final projects of seniors. The university has invested heavily in creating an excellent learning space for students, and I highly appreciate the university for that.
Thirdly, internship opportunities are a point of interest for me because I want to gain more experience in my chosen field with many great ones. The On-the-Job model excites me because I will be directly interning at companies and seeing how I mature after the internship.
Eventually, when I visited FPT University, the tour guide introduced me to the Skillcetera club. I love the TED Talk program and often watch TED Talk videos on Youtube to practice my speaking skills. When introduced to the club, I was even more ecstatic because as a member of Skillcetera, I can have the opportunity to organize TED Talk sessions and interact with speakers.
Despite the threat posed by Chat GPT to careers, including designers, I always appreciate human efforts and expertise due to the absence of emotions in AI. Human reasoning, brainpower, and social interaction skills are essential in problem-solving and cannot be easily programmed for AI. Additionally, I believe that art and creativity are fundamental and primitive acts that AI cannot replace, and I respect the artistic values created by humans. My chosen field is an art form closely related to human behavior and may face future threats, but the core of art will always exist to guide those who appreciate beauty.
.png)
Eventually, I express gratitude towards FPT University for providing appropriate teaching programs that cater to societal needs and valuing the student experience. If given the opportunity to study at FPT University, I am willing to contribute practically by becoming a speaker to share my experiences in Digital Art and Design major when I graduate and developing learning and research support applications or job-seeking support ones for students. FPT University can allow me to learn, experience, and contribute to the university's future development.
