Fellowship Experience: Shubhank Sharma

‍TL;DR

Shubhank discovered his passion for product design during his final year studying civil engineering. He enrolled in ownpath’s Product Design Fellowship program to upskill and make use of a structured learning format, and after making his way through the modules, secured an internship at Fi Money through ownpath!

This is his story:

”My path to product design might surprise you. In my final year of studying civil engineering, I discovered a love for design and knew I wanted to pursue it full-time.

Initially, I began with self-learning through videos on YouTube. But I quickly realized I needed a far more structured approach to bridge my skill gap. A friend of mine recommended ownpath, and after a great conversation with their admissions team, I enrolled in their Bridge Program – designed to bridge the gap for folks from non-design backgrounds looking to build a career in Product Design. This intensive three-month program proved incredibly valuable in switching fields.

The Bridge Program wasn't solely about individual learning. I got to work alongside other fellows in the same boat. Yasir helped me improve my Figma skills, and I loved Aarti Bhatnagar's sessions – they helped me solidify my grasp of User Research, a critical skill that I immediately put into action.

After building more core skills, I transitioned into the Product Design Fellowship.

The Fellowship gave me more than just technical development. Masterclasses like Akshay's on Interaction Design provided deep insights into creating intuitive interfaces. Manali's "Storytelling for Designers" helped me understand the power of crafting compelling narratives around products. This emphasized the importance of user connection and clear communication of design concepts. Connecting with fellow students like Pranav, Sukriti, Nithya, and Sharath was a great experience. Our discussions and shared perspectives made it a lot of fun!

To gain more experience and put my learnings into practice, I started looking for internships. ownpath presented an exciting opportunity at Fi Money, and I promptly applied. The interview process involved a case study presentation followed by discussions with the design team. ownpath's guidance helped me in securing the position.

So far at Fi, I've already furthered my learning about the importance of clear communication with developers, crafting user experiences that drive business growth, and ensuring every design decision aligns with the company's larger goals and vision.

What truly stands out is ownpath's role in facilitating my complete career switch in just 6 months. This journey, from my background in civil engineering to becoming a full-fledged product designer, is a testament to the transformative, well-structured, and impactful learning experience!

If you're looking to make a career transition, or level up in product design, learn more about ownpath's Product Design Fellowship. If you're new to design and want to know more about our Bridge Program, talk to us here.

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