It has been almost a year since we started design "challenges" at our very own academy, and there are dozens who have finished them all and truly risen to the occasion.
They have shared their stories so we thought it would be great to share them with you all too.
So let's introduce John Sadir to you in our introductory feature article .
Say Hi
Hi, I am John Sadir, from California, and I'm a UI designer focusing on creativity and innovation. I've been designing for about 3 years now, but haven't held a role in the industry yet. My favorite digital agency is Cuberto.
My Journey
It all started when I saw the early bird PRO plan, which prompted me to sign up immediately for a super good deal that I didn’t miss out on.
And so I became a PRO user, knowing this was the defining moment, where I not only had the opportunity to get better at UI design but also create an impact for the Hype4Academy community.
![john-img5](https://a.storyblok.com/f/117250/3480x2000/0fca5ed5e4/john-img5.png)
Having done that, the rest was history.
I was able to significantly progress my UI skills in a short period of time, which kept me motivated to design daily until there were no more challenges left.
![john-img1](https://a.storyblok.com/f/117250/3480x2000/c51014fb6c/john-img1.png)
The IA challenge was the one I really excelled in. From day one, it started off with utilizing one of Michal’s unique methods for presenting UI design—the hierarchy strips.
![john-img2](https://a.storyblok.com/f/117250/3480x2000/a1b1d3c3b0/john-img2.png)
From day 5 and onwards, my innovative mind kicked into gears, as I was trying out my own approach of annotating UI designs.
In fact, I even mixed my approach, with hierarchy strips.
![john-img3](https://a.storyblok.com/f/117250/3480x2000/287a16da38/john-img3.png)
My way of visualizing IA was casually explaining what the user is thinking while taking the necessary steps to achieve a task. I sometimes added some personality to my user flows, which made them easy to remember.
It even got to the point where Michal Malewicz started to take notice of my designs on the platform, and even gave encouraging feedback for me to improve and push towards the finish line.
As well as Adam Moucka who also has been supportive.
![john-img4](https://a.storyblok.com/f/117250/3480x2000/b4a1bd3e99/john-img4.png)
Once both the Daily UI and IA challenges were finished, I took on the app icon challenge, where I applied all the things I knew from my previous Graphic Design challenge by playing around with shadows, blurs, colors, etc.
To end on a positive note, it was such a great pleasure for me to partake in all the possible challenges offered by Hype4Academy, and to reflect back on a great marathon of multiple accomplishments along the way.
If you have shared a similar story on your socials, DM us and we can feature your story too here till then see you in the next part!