Here at Border Crossing UX we’ve had a wonderful opportunity to run a foundation apprenticeship work placement in Business and Skills for Edinburgh College. Over the last 3 months, we’ve been working with Tanisha Rahman on developing her research, communication, marketing, and business skills.

Why is User Experience Significant?

For her final project, Tanisha decided to showcase what user experience is, and why it matters in a short video:

Tanisha’s experience

We asked Tanisha a couple of questions about her experience at Border Crossing UX:

Q: What is the most important thing you have learnt?

I learnt a lot about user experience but the most important thing I learnt was prioritising needs. When working with a Client you need to focus on their customers, and champion their needs to deliver the best outcomes. So, rather than think about what you want to do or think is desirable you have to focus on business objectives and end-user goals. You have to be patient and always prioritise people’s needs over your desires so you can produce the right thing, not necessarily the prettiest. Also, now I understand what it is, I can see how significant user experience is, and how it affects everything around us, not just stuff online.

Q: What was the most fun thing about your foundation apprenticeship?

All the video making. It is a long process, but it was the most fun. As I was able to use the content from my PPT presentation but share it in a way that was easier for people to access and consume. I enjoyed being creative and choosing all of the footage and I liked working with people to get feedback and make improvements. I think that by working together the video is so much better, and I am really proud of it.

Q: What practical things did you learn during your apprenticeship?

I learnt that when I am creating something it is good to get someone else’s input before finishing it. Working with someone and getting a fresh pair of eyes to look at your work helps you see how you can make it better, or do things slightly differently. Getting that sort of feedback means you can quickly and easily decide how to make things better and create better outputs, faster.

Q: How can you apply what you have learnt here in the future?

I will continue to get people to give me input on what I am working on. I think that this is the best way to produce things that are really good. By getting feedback on my other school or college work, I’ll be able to make improvements before I submit the final outputs, whatever they are.

Esther’s experience

Q: Did you get what you expected from running the foundation apprenticeship work placement?

We weren’t quite sure what to expect, especially running it remotely for the first 2 months. But it was great to work with Tanisha and see how she learnt different research, presentation and communication skills. We have been incredibly impressed with the research that Tanisha has conducted, her analytical skills and the content that she has created. I am excited to be able to share it over the next few weeks.

Q: What was the most fun about the foundation apprenticeship?

Most of all, it has been really fun getting to know Tanisha and watching her develop her skills. I really enjoyed the presentation that Tanisha gave when conducting a value proposition and website review for three solicitors in Edinburgh. Her insights were really fascinating, and she presented them in a truly engaging way.

Q: What have you learnt from the foundation apprenticeship?

That the more you put in as a mentor, the better the experience is for everyone. You’ll also get better outcomes too. Being able to work with Tanisha directly on her final project has been great, and we’ve been looking forwards to Friday afternoons. It will be strange over the next couple of weeks now that the apprenticeship has ended, but she has left us with plenty of content to share. And I am delighted that Tanisha will be joining us over the summer in an assistant role before continuing her Highers in August.

Want to know more about foundation apprenticeships?

For more information about foundation apprenticeships take a look at Edinburgh College.