[ID Discuss] Guidance for someone interested in your field

[Cindy Alvarez]

> But yes you are right, that I would need the portfolio first. I think I
> was
> just suggesting a backdoor way to get paid to create one.

Right - and I'd go farther and say that personally, I wouldn't do it any
other way if I had my career to start over again.  I draw upon my product
management, web development, design, and even tech support experience all
the time.

Effective communication and negotiation is a big part of the interaction
designer's job, and understanding more pieces of the puzzle helps with
that a great deal.

The tricky part, I suppose, is finding a company which will give you the
freedom and support to move from the position you were hired to into
design strategy.  Startups were great for that; there are fewer of them
now, but small companies still often have no one who cares much about
design - if you're the person who cares, it's yours for the taking.  :)

Cindy Alvarez