I would describe myself

Opportunistic in learning craft.

Let me get candid ↓

2001-2009

Growing up in the land of opportunity

(Cute) childhood pics.

(Cute) childhood pics.

(Cute) childhood pics.

As a first-generation kid, I was born to two Indonesian immigrants, struggling to make ends meet.

Growing up, I was always fascinated with technology. At the age of 3, I was already very curious, browsing the internet and exploring any program on the family desktop computer.

At school, my teachers enrolled me in the Pittsburgh Gifted Center, as they saw my talent in math.

Aside from school, I loved drawing and visual art. I cherish the times I was in awe watching animated movies with my siblings at AMC. My first dream job was to be an animator, as I thought it could be fun being both creative and technical.

2009

Returning to my roots, the land of unknown

My 3rd grade class.

My 3rd grade class.

My 3rd grade class.

My parents enrolled me in a local, full Indonesian elementary school. As an 8-year-old kid who had never been proudly introduced to the Indonesian language and culture, I was forced to adapt. Apart from self-learning Bahasa Indonesia, I always had to observe my surroundings, how people behaved, and try to fit in.

2010-2018

Settling and fueling my ambitions

Some arts I produced during high school.

Some arts I produced during high school.

Some arts I produced during high school.

By the end of my first school year in Indonesia, I surprisingly ranked 2nd in class, having initially been in the 25th percentile. Apart from being very studious, I participated in and won competitions in various subjects. I also enrolled in math olympiad (and painting!) classes on the weekends.

After finishing elementary school, I enrolled in an acceleration program that shortened my middle school experience by 1 year. It was during this time that I discovered graphic designing, as I started to play around with CorelDRAW and Photoshop.

Upon enrolling in the most prestigious high school in Indonesia, I gained more experience in graphic design, designing many posters for the various events held. I also won a regional poster design competition held by the state.

2018-2021

Discovered and determined to pursue UI/UX

Zoom screenshots of my UI/UX endeavors.

Zoom screenshots of my UI/UX endeavors.

Zoom screenshots of my UI/UX endeavors.

Although I survived majoring in computer science at the University of Indonesia, I quickly realized that I did not enjoy coding.

I then discovered UI/UX, which was the perfect combination of what I had always enjoyed and learned: creative design, analytical thinking, and technology. Determined to pursue UI/UX, I participated in design meetups and webinars, connected with other designers in the industry, and also tried to be involved in any project that could hone my UI/UX skills.

After facing many rejections, I finally landed my first UI/UX internship, which has now turned into my current part-time job.

2021-2023

Confirming my passion for research

My undergraduate and graduate thesis defenses.

My undergraduate and graduate thesis defenses.

My undergraduate and graduate thesis defenses.

I enrolled in a fast-track program which allowed me to obtain a master’s degree 1 year after graduating with a bachelor’s. Although the first few weeks were very stressful, this experience exposed and confirmed my passion for design research. As a person who has always been very observant of others' behaviors (including mine), I fell in love with the concept of behavior-changing technologies. My undergraduate and graduate theses were related to fostering retention and financial behavior.

Today

Preparing for a new chapter

Me finally out of school!

Me finally out of school!

Me finally out of school!

Still working part-time, I have loved every experience designing UIs to swags, and researching users with practical and scientific approaches.

Having just graduated with a master’s degree, I finally feel the burden of parental expectations off my shoulders. My family and I plan to finally move back to the U.S. in the near time and settle for good. Excited to start this new chapter.

Amrisandha Prasetyo © 2024