I attend the Austin Python Meetup on November 15th, as the team had invited an Israeli computer scientist to talk about Pylint and static analysis. The tutorials were slightly hard to follow because of their specialized nature but I was able to understand the use of classes and commits because the programming language was the same as we have studied in class.

I think I will find value in similar events where UX/UI designers come together to pool intellectual and other resources to help each other flourish as professionals. In my Virtual Environments class, I noticed that I was able to work on a VR game in Unity more efficiently because I had learnt coding in Introduction to Programming.

I initially expected that the coding event would be similar to Austin Python’s past meetups where programmers gather to work on their code in addition to the usual workshop. However, most of the event was dedicated to the workshop. It was also interesting to see how experts in the field would come up with different answers, make mistakes and bounce ideas off each other.

I think knowing programming will be helpful for me in interacting with the developers on my future teams but it’s not going to be crucial for my everyday professional duties as a UX designer. However, I can see the value of knowing the basics of coding and being aware of how transferable coding skills are across languages if I have to design an interface for a Unity game, for example. On the other hand, I think I learn best by working in groups. Lately, I find it easier to learn through visuals or watching someone else perform a task, rather than reading about it. I also find that I work best in teams because otherwise it’s harder for me to organize my work, as a neurodivergent person and someone who is inexperienced with math and technology.