I’m Off to Tennessee to Teach UX Design
By Jessica Ivins 6 Comments
I’m thrilled to announce that I’ve accepted a full-time faculty position with Center Centre (a.k.a. The Unicorn Institute), a new brick and mortar school for UX designers. I’ll be relocating to Chattanooga, Tennessee this summer to begin the position.
The school, which opens this fall, provides a two year program to train industry-ready junior UX designers for full-time work.
Anyone who knew me as a kid will tell you that I was obsessed with unicorns. I spent countless hours drawing them, reading books about them, and writing unicorn adventure stories. Little did I know that two decades later, I’d be teaching at a school nicknamed The Unicorn Institute.
Left: An epic unicorn I drew at the age of 13. I was a big fan of unicorns standing on cliffs. Right: A less than epic but acceptable unicorn I sketched in June of 2014.
Practicing UX and teaching UX have both been my passions for some time now. Bridging the gap between the demand for UX designers and the lack of available talent is something I’ve given much thought. Meanwhile, I teach the craft and give advice to aspiring UX designers all the time. I’ve taught classes for the Philadelphia chapter of Girl Develop It, given workshops around the country, and mentored a UX intern last summer.
The opportunity to train new UX designers while working alongside Leslie Jensen Inman, Jared Spool, and the rest of the Center Centre team was one that I couldn’t turn down.
I’ll be sad to leave my fellow team members at AWeber and the amazing people that make the Philly tech community so vibrant. While I’ll miss this all very dearly, I’m excited to explore a new city and take the next step with my career (and my love of unicorns, of course).
If you’re in or near Philly, let’s grab a drink soon.
Comments
Hi Sweetie,
Do I remember your love of unicorns?¿!!
I sure do! You always had either a sketch pad or a coloring book in your hands and I bet 95% was to draw unicorns!
I am really so happy for you Jess, as you begin this awesome adventure. Good for you!
You will be sorely missed by many but can’t blame you for going. What an opportunity! Oh, by the way, how is Jesse Jr about all this? LOL… Congrats for leaving the area!
Love you much,
Auntie Far
Thanks Aunt Laura!
Congratulations Jess!!!
Thanks so much, Robert!
Love the drawings and can’t wait to do some sketchbook fun when you get here and having your help in developing our awesome program!! =D