Starting my journey in MIDEA felt like stepping into the unknown. My background in finance and accounting seemed far from the creativity I was looking for, but behind all those numbers was a growing passion for design that I’d developed during my undergraduate years.

In my free time, I loved working with my hands, creating unique crafts. I started a video channel to share these creations, and, to my surprise, quickly gained a loyal following. Encouraged by this, I taught myself 3D modeling to make custom resin molds and even created a small brand. One day, while scrolling online, I came across motion graphics that brought still images to life. Captivated, I learned After Effects and shifted from crafting to video creation. By graduation, I asked myself: Did I really want to be an accountant? My answer was clear. Driven by my passion, I joined MIDEA to build real skills in design.

As I dove into MIDEA, I found that many design theories connected with my earlier interests, giving structure to things I’d done instinctively before. My early experience of creating resin molds, improving them based on buyer feedback, lined up well with concepts like design thinking and prototyping. These methods taught me to view design as an ongoing process of empathy, testing, and refining, similar to how I had perfected my molds. By focusing on the user, I learned to create experiences that were both useful and meaningful (Norman, 2013). Prototyping reinforced this as each iteration helped me test and evolve ideas, showing how essential feedback is for impactful designs (Schön, 2017).

User research, however, was entirely new to me. Before, I designed molds based mainly on my own ideas, only making changes after receiving feedback. Through MIDEA, I learned to conduct structured user research from the start, using interviews, surveys, and observations to understand users’ motivations, goals, and challenges early in the process. This approach grounded my projects in real user needs, showing me that good design isn’t just about creativity but also about truly listening to the user (Brown, 2009).

MIDEA has taught me more than skills; it’s expanded my perspective and appreciation for purposeful design. Though this chapter has ended, I know I’m stepping forward to a new beginning, carrying with me all that I’ve learned, and ready for what lies beyond.