Hi Guys! Hiiiii!
It's been too long, but I'm still kicking it with you.
I just wrapped up a move to a new apartment. My new place is, well, interesting--it's not the loft I mentioned in an earlier post, it's a Studio Plus. I'm pretty sure the owner made that term up. Basically, it's a large living area and a separate bedroom too narrow to be considered full-sized. It's big enough for my full bed and dresser, a long bench, and a clothes rack and it is completely closed off from my living space, so I approve. The place has a great kitchen and bath--and a walk-in closet! Also, hard wood floors, stainless steel kitchen appliances, marble counters, an ice maker in the freezer (shockingly rare), and a bathtub. I could go on. #iloveit I really lucked out--a friend of a friend bought a few rowhomes and is renovating and renting them. I got first dibs before he put them on the market. It's so perfect that I know it was a mini-miracle meant for me. #thankyou
My library flooded last week so I've been helping shift and box books, and have been trying to work outside my office. Just in time for midterms. #headache
I have so much schoolwork keeping me busy and I'm working really hard to improve my portfolio. I had a talk with my advisor because I expect my work to be great from the jump--he reminded me that I'm still a newbie and if my work isn't at the level I want, post it anyway and highlight what I've learned. Then get better. In the beginning, it's fine, expected even, to have a portfolio with flawed work and highlights how you've progressed. That advice helped me put things into perspective. A lot of my classmates have been designing for a long time, and the things they produce make my stuff look like elementary art. lol. I'm used to being the smart one with good work and I'm super competitive, so I've been kind of in my feelings about how some of my projects have turned out. He gave good advice, but he also agreed we should have a workshop on portfolio design. I'm excited for that.
Also on my calendar, the Health Experience Refactored--a conference on how technology and design improve health experiences. I'm really excited because my thesis project is building an app for black yogis. I won't go into too much detail but I've consulted with faculty from the Physical Therapy, Nutrition, and Divinity departments at Howard and I have good ideas. I'm hoping that seeing what others in the fields are doing will trigger something and I'm especially interested in the session on health literacy and health equity. My research is on how consumer health technologies can help relieve health disparities, and I'm passionate about designing interfaces for members of disparate communities. I'll probably be bringing it up again and again. #bearwithme
I'm working on a team for the Acumen Design Kit for Human Centered Design, where we've taken on the task of designing an app that helps close the education gap for new immigrants. One of my besties works at World Relief, placing refugees and assisting with immigrant needs and I can't wait to pick her brain and develop ideas.
Speaking of design and technology, I've been considering a move to the West Coast. Ph.D.? New job? Both? It's a little too early to tell, but I think San Fransisco/Bay Area is a great place for a girl dreaming of impacting Health IT design. When the chips fall, I'll let you know. I'm excited for the possibilities, but on the real, just thinking about another move? #sob
Travel? Nada. Another sob. I have a travel account that normally funds my expeditions--I auto-send a percent of each paycheck and watch it add up. But, since I just moved and might be moving again I've needed all my dollars diverted to general saving. I have funds for the Abu Dhabi trip planned for my birthday in April, and at some point this Spring I'll be visiting San Fran and the Bay. Plus, a couple of conferences between Austin and Boston. And, I scored cheap tickets for Hawaii this summer, courtesy of the Flight Deal. So, maybe not nada, but I'm dreaming of another international stamp on my passport. This snow and cold, though? Got me wishing I was somewhere warm and sunny--today...right now :)
Wrapping things up with my February reading list:
1. Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
2. Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr
3. Fairest by Marissa Meyer
4. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
It's been too long, but I'm still kicking it with you.
I just wrapped up a move to a new apartment. My new place is, well, interesting--it's not the loft I mentioned in an earlier post, it's a Studio Plus. I'm pretty sure the owner made that term up. Basically, it's a large living area and a separate bedroom too narrow to be considered full-sized. It's big enough for my full bed and dresser, a long bench, and a clothes rack and it is completely closed off from my living space, so I approve. The place has a great kitchen and bath--and a walk-in closet! Also, hard wood floors, stainless steel kitchen appliances, marble counters, an ice maker in the freezer (shockingly rare), and a bathtub. I could go on. #iloveit I really lucked out--a friend of a friend bought a few rowhomes and is renovating and renting them. I got first dibs before he put them on the market. It's so perfect that I know it was a mini-miracle meant for me. #thankyou
My library flooded last week so I've been helping shift and box books, and have been trying to work outside my office. Just in time for midterms. #headache
I have so much schoolwork keeping me busy and I'm working really hard to improve my portfolio. I had a talk with my advisor because I expect my work to be great from the jump--he reminded me that I'm still a newbie and if my work isn't at the level I want, post it anyway and highlight what I've learned. Then get better. In the beginning, it's fine, expected even, to have a portfolio with flawed work and highlights how you've progressed. That advice helped me put things into perspective. A lot of my classmates have been designing for a long time, and the things they produce make my stuff look like elementary art. lol. I'm used to being the smart one with good work and I'm super competitive, so I've been kind of in my feelings about how some of my projects have turned out. He gave good advice, but he also agreed we should have a workshop on portfolio design. I'm excited for that.
Also on my calendar, the Health Experience Refactored--a conference on how technology and design improve health experiences. I'm really excited because my thesis project is building an app for black yogis. I won't go into too much detail but I've consulted with faculty from the Physical Therapy, Nutrition, and Divinity departments at Howard and I have good ideas. I'm hoping that seeing what others in the fields are doing will trigger something and I'm especially interested in the session on health literacy and health equity. My research is on how consumer health technologies can help relieve health disparities, and I'm passionate about designing interfaces for members of disparate communities. I'll probably be bringing it up again and again. #bearwithme
I'm working on a team for the Acumen Design Kit for Human Centered Design, where we've taken on the task of designing an app that helps close the education gap for new immigrants. One of my besties works at World Relief, placing refugees and assisting with immigrant needs and I can't wait to pick her brain and develop ideas.
Speaking of design and technology, I've been considering a move to the West Coast. Ph.D.? New job? Both? It's a little too early to tell, but I think San Fransisco/Bay Area is a great place for a girl dreaming of impacting Health IT design. When the chips fall, I'll let you know. I'm excited for the possibilities, but on the real, just thinking about another move? #sob
Travel? Nada. Another sob. I have a travel account that normally funds my expeditions--I auto-send a percent of each paycheck and watch it add up. But, since I just moved and might be moving again I've needed all my dollars diverted to general saving. I have funds for the Abu Dhabi trip planned for my birthday in April, and at some point this Spring I'll be visiting San Fran and the Bay. Plus, a couple of conferences between Austin and Boston. And, I scored cheap tickets for Hawaii this summer, courtesy of the Flight Deal. So, maybe not nada, but I'm dreaming of another international stamp on my passport. This snow and cold, though? Got me wishing I was somewhere warm and sunny--today...right now :)
Wrapping things up with my February reading list:
1. Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl by Issa Rae
2. Freeman by Leonard Pitts, Jr
3. Fairest by Marissa Meyer
4. I, Claudius by Robert Graves
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