In Class Visits and other Professional Practices
This section serves as an archive of reflections, interviews, presentations, and professional experiences during the spring 2026 Professional Practices class at SAIC.
CAT NGUYEN
April 6, 2026
Cat Nguyen is a Chicago-based UX designer and creative lead whose work focuses on product design, UX strategy, and creating approachable digital experiences. Her portfolio includes work for major companies such as Google Home, where she led projects involving information architecture, device setup systems, and connected home experiences.
Cat spoke about her experiences as a designer and what it means to work within UX and product design while still maintaining curiosity and empathy. Throughout her presentation, she emphasized the importance of being “curious, brave, and kind,” which became the central theme of her talk. I appreciated how she framed curiosity as an essential part of design practice, encouraging designers to immerse themselves in different experiences, conduct research, and continuously explore new ideas. Her discussion made me realize that strong design often comes from openness to learning and experimentation rather than immediately knowing the “right” answer.
RILEY BRADY
April 13, 2026
Riley Brady is a Chicago-based multidisciplinary artist and graphic designer whose work combines publication design, illustration, printmaking, and traditional craft. She currently works as a Designer + Manager at Blue Daring.
Listening to Riley speak about balancing a creative career with a personal artistic practice gave me a better understanding of what it means to sustain a long-term life in design. One of the ideas that stood out most to me was the importance of maintaining a personal practice alongside professional work. She explained that personal work is not only fulfilling and enjoyable, but also strengthens creative growth and helps artists prioritize themselves and their goals. I appreciated her emphasis on versatility in design while still maintaining an individual artistic voice. Her portfolio combined graphic design and visual art, showing how professional skill and personal expression can exist together.
INTERVIEW RELFECTION
During my interview for the Graphic Design internship position at 1525, I had the opportunity to present my portfolio work in a professional setting. Although the interview functioned primarily as a job interview, it also became a portfolio review experience that helped me better understand how to communicate my work to industry professionals. My goal was to present myself confidently while showing that my work is not only visually engaging, but also thoughtful and communication-driven.
Overall, I think I did well as a presenter and felt comfortable discussing projects that were conceptually and visually strong. However, I realized that I sometimes focused too heavily on visual details rather than communicating the broader purpose and impact of the work. The experience also taught me the importance of pacing, confidence, and adaptability during portfolio presentations. Even though the interview felt somewhat quick at times, it gave me insight into the workflow and expectations of a collaborative marketing and branding environment.
VOLUNTEER WORK
This semester I designed a portfolio website for a friend’s software engineering projects, which became an opportunity for me to apply my graphic design knowledge to a real-world project outside of SAIC. The goal of the website was to represent him professionally as a computer science and mathematics student while also showing his personality.
We both wanted the design to feel clean, intentional, and approachable while still functioning effectively as a portfolio. One of the biggest challenges was balancing what my friend wanted with my own design decisions. I focused on creating a minimal layout with simple typography, subtle motion, and strong organization so the website felt professional without becoming overly corporate.
Because I do not have extensive experience in web design, this project became an important learning experience for me creatively and professionally. I had to think carefully about hierarchy, navigation, responsiveness, and how users would move through the site across different screen sizes. Another important part of the process was collaboration. Since I was designing for someone who is not a designer, I had to communicate clearly and listen closely to his goals and feedback. This helped me better understand the importance of communication and adaptability within the design process.