On Women and Girls in Science Day, we give a voice to two of IAGT’s latest recruits. Beatriz Conde, frontend developer, and Laura Martín, UX/UI product designer, tell us how they discovered their passion for technology, their influences, and the challenges they have overcome along the way. Discover their inspiring stories!
Laura Martín, UX/UI product designer at IAGT
When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in UX/UI, and what inspired you?
I have always been fascinated by analyzing situations and proposing solutions through design. That is what led me to study architecture and later to make a career change to UX design. For me, they are the same profession: it is about devising and building spaces, whether physical or digital, that people can navigate in a simple and intuitive way to perform a series of actions (listening to music in a concert hall, listening to music on a streaming platform, etc.). Reflecting on what these spaces are like, how we navigate them, and how we build them is something I find fascinating.
My references have been colleagues with whom I had the opportunity to talk before studying UX, people who, coming from different sectors such as architecture, industrial design, and psychology, introduced me to this discipline that is both human and technological at the same time.
Based on your motivation, how would you encourage other students or professionals to enter this profession?
I would tell them that, if they are interested and intrigued, they should delve into this world through reading, podcasts, conversations, etc.; that they should gradually discover the discipline and, once they are clear about it, go for it without hesitation. UX design is a multidisciplinary profession that accommodates many different profiles, from the most analytical to the most creative, including those with a strong technological background.
You can learn more about Laura Martín here.
Interview with Beatriz Conde, frontend developer at IAGT
When did you realize you wanted to pursue a career in software development, and what inspired you?
Since I was little, I have always been very interested in science, although I wasn’t sure which direction I wanted to go in. It wasn’t until relatively recently that I discovered I wanted to pursue a career in software development. At first, I decided to study chemistry, but over time I realized that I didn’t really see myself doing that in the future.
So, after much hesitation, I decided to take the plunge and study web application development, even though I wasn’t sure if it was really something I would be passionate about. Luckily, in the end, I discovered that it was, and I love doing it. I believe that this was largely thanks to my teachers, who helped me see the way forward and motivated and inspired me, despite how difficult it seemed at first.
Today, what I enjoy most about software development is that, in addition to being a technological discipline, it is also very creative. I love seeing how ideas and code are transformed into real products with a real impact.
Based on your motivation, how would you encourage other students or professionals to enter this profession?
Finally, to those who are thinking about pursuing this career, I would say don’t be afraid to take the plunge and give it a try. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed at first, but with time and practice, you can do it. And especially to women, don’t be intimidated by a field that at first glance seems to be for men, because there will always be a place for us in science, and more and more of us are deciding to take this step.