Pros
Global experience: Working for a company that sells educational toys globally provides you with exposure to different markets, cultures, and user preferences. This experience can broaden your understanding of design principles and help you adapt to diverse user needs. Large research sample space: Developing educational toys for children allowed me to interact with a wide range of users, including children of different ages and backgrounds, presenting an excellent opportunity to conduct user research and gather valuable insights to enhance my design process. Strong design cycles: Yardstick Education Initiatives' emphasis on strong design cycles indicates a structured and iterative approach to design. This fostered a collaborative and creative environment where I could continuously refine and improve my designs based on user feedback and industry best practices. Efficient feedback loops: The company's focus on efficient feedback loops implies a streamlined communication process. Regular feedback from stakeholders, including educators, parents, and children, helped me validate design decisions, iterate quickly, and create products that better meet user expectations.
Cons
Limited scope: Although Yardstick Education Initiatives focuses on educational toys, the nature of the product line limited the variety of design challenges I encountered, potentially restricting the breadth of UX design experience in different domains or on a wider range of projects. Limited user demographics: While working with children as the primary users was rewarding, it limited exposure to designing for other user groups or diverse age ranges. This could potentially restrict the ability to develop a comprehensive skill set across different user contexts.