At the beginning I thought science was amazing. I loved learning about the human body and was fascinated by it's function in health and disease. This interest led me to a B.Sc. and a Ph.D. in Human Immunology. I desperately wanted to put my skills to good use, so I undertook a research position where I hoped to make a difference to the field of Th2 immunity and dendritic cell immunology.
After a few years I could feel my enthusiasm had waned. Although I was presenting at conferences and working at a top class research institution, I didn't feel satisfied. This all came to a head one day when an experiment that had taken 16 weeks to complete didn't work. I had spent 16 weeks, thousands of dollars and numerous other resources and it didn't work. Who was benefiting from this? Not me. And neither were the people I was trying help. It was difficult for me to perceive the actual value of my research: It was too abstract. I couldn't put a face or purpose to my work.
This was when I really began to appreciate the value of tangibility. For me, science research was too far removed from the people I was trying to help. Consequently, I knew I had to begin a new career that was more tangible. And here I am now. I'm a designer. I see the faces of the people I work with. I see the benefit. And I see the difference I'm making.
