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Get to know your UX Design Instructor

Xccelerate HK
July 24, 2021

Here's what it takes to be a UX Design instructor - Kaleb Cardenas Z


“It’s crucial to show my students the potential of design and its impact in different industries.” - Kaleb Cardenas Z - Head of Service Design & UX Design Instructor

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Can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

I am a designer by trade and I have had the good fortune to have applied my skills across different fields and countries, which has provided me with a well-rounded perspective on what design is. For example, I have worked in the physical design of products, service design and user experience design. I really enjoy using the skills I have gained throughout my career to help our students develop their own experience and expertise within design. To me, it is absolutely crucial that I show our students the full potential of design work and how it can impact the emotions of a customer as well as how design has had such an impact across different industries.

Why us? Why do you choose to work at Xccelerate?

I have over 10 years of experience in design, before I moved into teaching design where I have dedicated the last 3 years. I joined Xccelerate because my values and the values of the company align. Both the Company and I are working hard to create a meaningful and positive impact on the planet, and I believe technology is a driving force to push humanity forward and well-designed technology will have a positive and more impactful outcome on the world. Being a part of Xccelerate empowers me to have a positive impact on those designs of the future. To ensure that impact is real, Xccelerate works closely with different companies, along with our students, to solve some of the largest problems we have in Hong Kong and the world. And that is why I'm here.


Read Also: Understanding UX Roles and which one to Choose from


What excites you the most about your job?

I love meeting new people and hearing their views - whether they are like-minded or not so like-minded. This excites me. Each brings a unique point of view to the conversion. This helps me learn new things and apply different perspectives in different scenarios. It forces me to always be aware that there is another point of view.
As a designer and mentor, it is essential to leverage my passions and talent to benefit other people and the planet, and the best way I can do that is to be constantly learning.

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Take us through what a student can expect if they were to experience full-stack UX design bootcamp

Our students will engage with real companies on multiple projects , and through this experience our students learn about design tacitly. This approach allows us to embed theory, methods and frameworks into these real-life projects and as such our students get real feedback from real clients to enable them to create evidence-based solutions for complex challenges. The scope of our stream goes beyond a 'conventional' UX/UI course. We teach our students to use critical thinking and make informed decisions with research, collaboration and creativity. It is imperative to empower our students to be decision-makers and lead by example.

Who or what inspires you the most in your life’s journey?

I try to be secular and agnostic when adding values and principles to the way I live and design. The most significant milestones that shaped my thinking were during my time in Scandinavia (Sweden), Patagonia (Argentina), and now Asia (Hong Kong). There are a lot of people and places that created a positive impact and influenced my career. I'm thankful for all the mentors I had and every experience they shared with me.

Kaleb's Favorite Quote:

"Design creates culture. Culture shapes values. Values determine the future." - Robert L Peters


Read Also: 2021 Career Guide: UX Design in Hong Kong


What his students say

“I felt very lucky to have Kaleb as my instructor and great resources at my disposal. The way we learned was very agile and out of the box. Instead of being fed lectures all day, we had to be creative and resourceful in order to succeed at our tasks. I’ve created meaningful connections with not only my instructor and classmates but also people from various industries, which is extremely valuable to me as an individual and a UX UI designer in the tech field.” - 2021 UX Alumni

View more reviews on SwitchUp.


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