Shyamala Prayaga
Founder & CEO
UXLabs India
Shyamala Prayaga is a member of:
- Expert
The Journey: Early Days to How I Got Here
I started my career as a computer faculty way back in 2000 and worked with many MNC's as a web designer. The zeal to learn new things was always there in me and that has been the stepping stone for me. In every organization I learnt new technologies; new concept and new processes which helped me climb the ladder of success at every step.
During my initial days of career when any interviewers used to ask me a question which I was not able to answer, I use to take that as a challenge and make sure to get the answer to that question through all possible sources and then I write my own blogs so that those answers stay in my mind always.
Decisions That Mattered
First keeping a watch at the market and learning potential skills and
technologies which can help grow in career. As mentioned earlier I
started as a faculty and later as a web developer and designer, then I
realized user experience and usability is something which can add value
and so I got into that field.
Another big decision was moving from web app designing to mobile application designing which added to my skills.
Lessons Learnt
Every organization teaches you something which adds to your career and
makes it healthy. I've learnt a lot in all my previous organizations.
The lessons I've learnt in my professional journey so far is - First
stays focused and have a vision set for yourself. Second compete with
self to achieve great things in life; no one else can be your biggest
competitor.
Turning Points
Paradigm shift from web and desktop application designing to Mobile application designing.
Work and Role: Then and Now
Completely different! Started as a faculty, then moved into web
designing and SEO, then moved into User Experience. Today I breathe,
live, talk and implement "user experience" in all that I design.
Trends to Watch Out For
Technologies are evolving, trends are changing. When I started it was all HTML and CSS with a table based design, now its HTML5, CSS3 which is responsive for all platforms. Earlier it was JavaScript now its Object Oriented JavaScript and JavaScript libraries all across. Many UI framework evolved, many technologies evolved, many mobile framework evolved, mobile platforms and Operating system evolved.
My Advice If You are Starting Out
Being social and active is the the best way to learn new things. Meet
like minded/ like profession people, join groups, write blogs,
participate in discussions, forums, bar camps etc. These are the best
platforms to learn new things and gain knowledge.
Areas of Specialization
Mobile Augmented Reality and mobile gaming applications, have great future.
Books/Websites I recommend
"Mobile Interaction design" is a great book which can help understand how mobile devices have evolved and what can the future of mobile devices be. This book can also help you understand how people use mobile devices and can help you design and develop great apps.