Reshaping my approach to UX

As a final-year Interaction Design student, having the opportunity to work on an industry-level project in collaboration with the BMW Group and QUT Design Academy has been a significant milestone. Throughout the semester, exchanging feedback during weekly catch-ups and seeing the incredible design processes of my peers from different disciplines was highly inspiring.

For my project, which was specifically designed for the QUT Open Day, I wanted to create an engaging experience for visitors. The core concept was actually inspired by my personal interest in the Pokémon Trading Card Game mechanics. I wanted to translate that tactile excitement into a digital interface, pushing myself to explore advanced prototyping functions in Figma to build a smooth card-pack interaction tailored specifically for a tablet layout.

Beyond perfecting the visual identity and technical execution in Figma and Adobe Illustrator, this unit taught me a lot about professional independence. Managing a real-world project from scratch made me realize how crucial strict timelines and project management are. It also shifted my mindset from just completing a university assignment to deeply understanding real users, thinking about how they feel, behave, and react to an interaction in a crowded environment.

Reflecting on the final outcome, this project deeply reshaped how I approach user experience. I learned to look past the screen and design for the entire user journey within a real-world environment. It taught me that successful interaction design isn't just about finishing a digital prototype, but about creating a seamless, memorable experience for the people engaging with it.

For future design students, I highly recommend this unit. It provides a rare, practical bridge between university and the industry, and it genuinely helps shape your perspective as a developing professional designer.

Angel Cheng
BMW Group Design Intern, 2026