I still remember my Pre-MDM interview when I asked Aida Osian whether the focus of Pre-MDM was on English, similar to IELTS or TOEFL preparation. Aida clarified that it wasn’t about basic English learning but rather about applying English effectively in a professional field to prepare us thoroughly for MDM. As the website promised, I have indeed learned many valuable lessons during Pre-MDM. In this post, I will share what I learned from the program.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In Aida\u2019s class, I developed three key skills that I consider the most important skills, in my case:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Communication skills and pitching for different purposes: We practiced various communication skills important for professional environments, such as introducing ourselves concisely and engagingly, explaining complex ideas, and presenting our work to other designers, developers or users. We had numerous opportunities to practice these skills in project simulations and in front of an audience. I made considerable progress in pitching as well\u2014I became more confident in front of an audience, learned how to use body language to keep attracting the audience\u2019s attention, and prepared myself to tackle difficult questions. I could see my classmates and myself growing, becoming more confident and professional with each step.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Conflict management: teamwork was a significant part of all courses in Pre-MDM, providing numerous opportunities to collaborate with people from diverse backgrounds. Aida taught us how to navigate and learn from conflict, turning it into an opportunity to strengthen teamwork and produce better outcomes. After times of collaboration, I gradually learned how to better communicate with different people and manage different situations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Cultural context: understanding cultural nuances is significant, especially in North America. I learned how to avoid unconscious bias and stereotypes in daily life, how to strike a balance between work and personal life and adapt to the Canadian environment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While Aida\u2019s courses focused on technical communication skills in project simulations, working in cross-functional teams and writing documentation, Jason Elliott\u2019s courses were centred on hands-on rapid prototyping, collaboration and teamwork.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cPrototypes are designed to be dropped\u201d: In the past, I often felt frustrated by the number of \u201cuseless\u201d prototypes and adjustments required before the final version. Jason\u2019s class helped me understand that these discarded prototypes are stepping stones toward the final product. Each attempt provides valuable insights, and I\u2019ve learned to become more positive about those \u201cabandoned\u201d ideas, even though I spent a lot of time on them.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Finding the right question: This is another aphorism I learned from Jason\u2019s class. I remember once asking him, “What should the prototype in our next assignment be like?” I expected a straightforward answer, something like, “The prototype should include a low-fi wireframe and an interactive showcase,” which was the typical requirement in my previous studies. However, Jason responded with a question of his own: “What do you want to solve with the prototype? What do you expect to know from it?” It was then that I realized I had become used to following a set pattern\u2014believing that a UI design must include a prototype\u2014without first asking myself what I wanted to achieve with it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Storytelling skills: I particularly enjoyed the cross-media storytelling course in the second semester. As a fan of transmedia culture, having previously written academic essays on transmedia theory and enjoyed media like the Resident Evil<\/em> series, Cyberpunk <\/em>series, and The Matrix <\/em>series, I was thrilled to design our own transmedia story. The process was more challenging than it seemed, but it was incredibly fun and exciting. We dived into every detail, from the background and characters to the media platforms and release dates. After this course, I began to truly admire lots of entertainment studios, it is not easy to tell a uniform and attractive story in different media<\/p>\n\n\n\n To sum up, Pre-MDM was an irreplaceable journey for me. I’m excited and ready for whatever comes next!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" I still remember my Pre-MDM interview when I asked Aida Osian whether the focus of Pre-MDM was on English, similar<\/p>\n