Meet Leonard Philippe-Perron, who completed the UX/UI Bootcamp at Ironhack Remote. We spoke to him about his Ironhack experience and incredible final project.
Before we talk about your experience in detail, can you please introduce yourself?
I'm French and 23 years old; I studied to be a historian and archeologist, always keen to explore new horizons. I've always been attracted to software, computers, and technology as a whole, but with my studies I never thought I could turn it into something other than an hobby with UX/UI Design.
Thank you, Leonard. Why did you choose to join Ironhack and break into tech?
Many people think that to be able to work in tech you need to be good at math. I was one of these believers until I realised there are other ways to enter the tech industry. For me, it was a big step as all my education has been related to art: I graduated in Art History at Royal Holloway, University of London and I have two Master degrees, one from the University of Amsterdam in Classics and Classical Languages and another one from King’s College London in Classical Art & Archaeology.
Prior to joining Ironhack, I did a course in digital communication: this was my first experience with the technological world. Then a friend of mine recommended taking a look at Ironhack. This would allow me to break into tech, combining my knowledge of the art industry and tech to create a path forward.
I would love to know: what was the key moment in your life that made you think about taking this step?
After the announcement of another national lockdown, I decided I needed to do something useful. I couldn’t stand the idea of being stuck at home wasting time. So for me that was a key factor when deciding to join Ironhack. Also at the moment of my decision, I wasn't committed to any company so I was able to focus entirely on the bootcamp.
How did a remote bootcamp fit into your plan? Why did you choose remote instead of an on-campus bootcamp?
If an online format wasn’t the main option, I would have enjoyed a face-to-face program. But due to the COVID pandemic, Ironhack Remote was the perfect solution for me to make the most of my time. 2020/2021 have been really tough so I can’t complain about having the chance to meet all the amazing people by Zoom. Hopefully one day I'll meet them in person!
I'm curious: what was your favourite moment at Ironhack?
The final project! This was definitely the best moment I spent studying at Ironhack. It was such a short and intense moment; I didn't see the hours pass by.
Can you tell us a bit more about your final project at Ironhack?
Our project was a little bit different from what we had studied before. Nuno and I looked at Virtual Reality and how the user would interact within VR. The company that handed us the project gave us total freedom on what we could bring forward; we decided to create a seamless, intuitive, and interactive control scheme for a virtual experience in which the user would be able to view in detail a product he could/would want to buy. Our project was focused only on how the user would control the experience. It was so much fun and we won the Hackshow! I guess that when you work on something you really like it is easier to stand for it (although we did work really hard!).
What are you looking to do next with your new skills?
I haven’t decided yet, I’m thinking of either garnering some experience in the VR industry or taking my UX skills to the art market and creating some opportunities there.
