How my life experiences prepared me to live in Canada as a UX Designer
It is not about 'how to immigrate to Canada', but how I got there.
There we go!
Changing your lifestyle, language, culture, climate, home, job, friends, laws and customs. In other words, changing your life. Of course, moving to another country is not for everyone. But before packing the bag in Brazil and going to Canada, I needed to prepare myself.
Moving to another country is a decision that involves more than just YES or NO. When I am asked, "Why Canada?" a movie crosses my mind with everything I have lived to understand the factors that prepared me to be in Canada as a User Experience Designer, but first and foremost, as a human being.
I had to know my past to understand my present. I realized that my paths offered valuable learning, so I decided to share them.
It is about the highs and lows of my life that have led me to where I am.
Let's start from the beginning.
I was born and raised in a small town in the countryside of Minas Gerais, Southeast — Brazil.
The youngest son of a family of three siblings. A shy child who was afraid of talking to strangers. At the same time, a curious and fun-seeking child. To summarize, that was me.
My childhood has enabled me to experience things that I would never have imagined in these times. I found joy in simple things. These memories stay fresh in my mind until nowadays.
✔️ Takeaway: Keep life simple.
Please repeat after me, Marcos.
I was teased at relatives' meetings because I spoke with a lisp. In other words: I had a speech disorder. For example, I couldn't pronounce the "T," swapping them for the "X" every time, distorting the sounds.
At that time, there was no talk about bullying. Regardless of the name, I was teased in every way. To speak less meant to be less embarrassed.
Definitely, not the right solution.
My next step was to train to improve my voice, and then after a few months of speech therapy sessions and minor surgery, I got it.
✔️ Takeaway: Instead of giving up, try again.
The obstacles only strengthen your resolve.
My father passed away when I was eight years old, and a few years later, lo and behold, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disease called bullous pemphigoid in my body. I dealt with it for years (avoid googling if you don't have the stomach for it).
I lost social contact and one and a half years of postponed study. My hair has fallen out, I have put on weight, and my self-esteem dropped. I couldn't look in the mirror and thought I wouldn't live long—tough days for me. 😞
However, it is not about pitying myself; I had to welcome these fragile moments of my life to become who I am.
✔️ Takeaway: It will go away. You are much stronger than you think you are.
What would come next?
Definitely, I didn't know, but I had one certainty: for every new problem in my life, I would try to see it as an opportunity for myself. And that's what I did. Staying at home for a long time, I had to find something enjoyable to do.
I started reading the books of the "Vaga-Lume" series (a Brazilian book collection aimed at children and teenagers, released in January 1973) and was fascinated by the stories. The books were my companions during that time, stimulating me to put my ideas on paper and create new characters and short stories. ✍️
After years in Elementary School, I received my first school award for writing an essay in my hometown, encouraging me to write more. Sometimes what we need is encouragement.
I started my first job when I was 12 years old due to my older sister's influence, who took over my father's role while my mother worked away all day. Priorities first, right? However, I've never lacked anything.
It was a single opportunity to show myself the value of money and the effort to get it. I've worked part-time in a supermarket, updating huge price lists of products every day. That was my first contact with a computer using the operating system MS-DOS. It wasn't a pleasant job, but I started to be engaged in tech stuff. 👨💻
Every time I used the PC, I felt excited to discover features. However, the MS-DOS software I used could have been more problematic. Today I see that all the problems in the system were nothing less than usability problems. I reported to the company that developed the software and received the updated version on the floppy diskette weeks later.
For this reason, I enrolled in an MS-DOS course and have never stopped since then.
Time goes by so fast: a good sign?
I spent hours on the computer, which helped me in my seclusion at home because I had to avoid the sun at any cost because of skin disease.
I must confess it changed my life.
Some nerd facts about me
- My first personal computer was a 586 PC.
- I was still determining what Design was, but I drew using Microsoft PaintBrush. I received an award in a logo contest in high school using this software. 😅
- After that, I took a Corel Draw course at 13, encouraged to learn what I could do using this program.
- As a self-taught, at 16, I started using FrontPage to create websites, using gifs already included on the computer. Unfortunately, my city's Internet connection was unavailable, so I updated and browsed the preview version in Netscape Navigator.
So, I discovered this was a profession, so I decided to pursue it.
✔️ Takeaway: Stay curious. Go up and never stop.
It's time to leave the nest.
I had already recovered my breath and had no more remnants of skin disease. My scars were healing. 🙏
I was raised to be independent, which helped me mature earlier and bossed the game from the off. Finally, at 17 years old, I left my family to follow my dreams in a different town. I was ready to face new challenges.
It was not easy, but I went on my way.
"Small towns never held me
I'm more than sidewalk routine.
Take me to a city,
never bought suburbia dreams.
Here I’ve got nothing to prove,
nothing to win or to lose."
My passion for Design prevailed and made me try, in 2005, an entrance exam for a Design course at the University. Unfortunately, for financial reasons, I needed to study at a Public University (in Brazil, there are 'no costs,' but the entrance criteria are cruel — an annual mega college-specific exam. The only deciding factor for who gets into a university and many candidates per vacancy).
Although I was approved into a private college (with a first-place scholarship), I still need to apply to the Public University. But that didn't make me give up. I tried it again.
Pressed on a budget and afraid of a big town. I thought about giving up. But instead, I learned to have patience, focus and, most importantly, to believe in myself.
I was approved! 🙌
✔️ Takeaway: Do what you feel is right — for you will be criticized anyway.
On the right track, on non-linear routes.
During my graduation, the most enchanted disciplines were Computer Graphics and Multimedia, in which I studied Human-Computer Interaction — HCI.
In 2008, my first mobile app, 'TAG BUS' at the University was a case study reference for Brazil's relevant graduate courses focused on Usability, the Post-Graduation in Interaction Design Faber Ludens / FISAM — International Colleges and UnC (Contestado University) in Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.
It was an innovation, especially considering that, at the time, mobile phones and internet technology were still in their early stages in Brazil. I was on the right track! 🤩
That same year, I participated in an internship selection process called Talent-hunting for a relevant agency in the city. There were only two job vacancies and dozens of competitors. After interviews, thematic essays, and group dynamics, the company still hadn't selected me. And to my amazement, weeks later, they called me to join the team! Yay! 😃
After going through several agency areas, I started as a web designer intern, and one year later, I was hired! 🎉
✔️ Takeaway: Decide what to be and be it.
What you plant now, you will harvest later.
After one year, I had my work recognized through the "Reveal Your Talent" Contest, ranking among more than 50 competing projects, 1st place in the category "Multimedia" with the project "Citizenship in Transit," promoted by Vitória City Hall. My first achievement in the design field. 🌱
Design helped me develop creativity and attention; see the world in a variable of possibilities; solve problems more efficiently, and encourage critical thinking. In addition, it has strengthened my self-esteem and taught me to be more communicative in public.
✔️ Takeaway: Taking risks increases self-confidence.
Keep moving forward.
In 2008, I developed an e-learning game with colleagues to participate in the Global Design Talents Contest, promoted by Universia (a university network reference for Ibero-America) in partnership with the Santander Foundation of Madrid, Spain.
The project was among the top 10 in the Digital category, contesting 1,685 projects worldwide (among 53 finalists). As a result, I received a world projection when exhibited at Casa de América in Madrid, Spain.
The e-learning was still presented at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, Canada, through my former academic professor at the UFES, Rinaldo Tessuti de Lucca, who is an eLearning Specialist at the Government of Alberta. So my project team received the following email:
I presented your e-learning Global Warming here in Canada at the University of Alberta and everyone says to me the your work very well done.
If you intend to take your Master’s Degree abroad, here you have an excellent program in design field and your portfolio helps you a lot.
If you are interested, I can give you the letters of recommendation.
Lucca
The dream seemed distant. No money, No English. No courage. I did not know about Canada. That was not my moment. So I decided to move on.
✔️ Takeaway: Never stop learning because life never stops teaching.
Be inspired.
In 2012, the Vitória City Hall launched the Contest to create the 100 Years of Moscoso Park Visual Identity. I was the winner. My brand design project ranked 1st place, winner of over 75 entries. The project has broadened my visibility, opening up new job opportunities.
✔️ Takeaway: Every accomplishment starts with a decision to try.
I liked being a web designer, but unfortunately, the job market demanded that I be a webmaster and know how to program. So I decided to revisit my career. I started to be interested in analyzing users' behaviour and usability testing. The market expanded, and the need to prove value in digital projects increased. So I decided to focus my studies on Web Analytics and Metrics to support my accurate design decisions and create strategies that differentiate me as a professional in this industry.
I got my recommendations from coworkers and clients. That's when I received an invitation to become a Digital Project Manager in 2015. What a great experience! My first job was a UX project!
UPDATE** [The UX case study, 'Minha Vitória: an Urban Master Planning collaboration platform,' has been published on the OECD Observatory of Public Sector Innovation (OPSI), a global forum based in Paris, France. 😃
Leading a cross-functional team with confidence is a two-way street: when you are willing to learn from problems, the group finds the solution together. I inspired trust, given my incentive in each project. That is the essence of teamwork, and I am very grateful for all of them. 🙏
I decided to study MBA in Big Data in São Paulo, Brazil's most populated and innovative city, to improve my hard skills in data-driven decisions and dig into more exciting projects in this industry. This time, by air-hop flight. ✈️
Besides the data, I had the chance to study Data Visualization, Consumer Insights and understand more about the users behind the data.
✔️ Takeaway: Opportunities don't happen. You create them.
When one teaches, two learn.
I was invited to be an instructor at WIS, a well-known regional school for digital skills courses, such as UX metrics and performance. I've trained more than 250 professionals in different industries, like Design, advertising, IT and marketing.
Years later, I joined the Conquer School team, this time with international reach, training professionals for improving productivity management using methods like Design Sprint, Lightning Decision Jam and Agile.
In both experiences, I developed my hard and soft skills. Every time I prepared content, I reviewed it for myself.
By teaching, I also learned and developed my verbal and non-verbal communication skills and contributed to the success of hundreds of professionals.
I felt honoured to be a teacher.
✔️ Takeaway: Power is gained by sharing knowledge, not hoarding it.
Designing my own business.
My first experience as an entrepreneur was in secondary school. The candy price was high, so I bought a pack of candies directly at the candy store to sell during the break for my classmates. Result: The school principal called my mother to scold the action and forbid the sale. She didn't know, but my initiative showed an entrepreneur's vein. 😂
Creating my own business as a UX Consultant was inevitable. I helped many companies, and my business needed to become official, so I created my brand Âncora Digital (Digital Anchor), working 100% remotely.
I developed active listening and empathizing with stakeholders. But, of course, operating a company requires swimming against the tide, especially in Brazil. But until when?
✔️ Takeaway: If it doesn't challenge you, it won't change you.
Shutdown.
Back to study, a full-time job took many tasks and worries to resolve at home, teaching at night, a consultancy in my spare time, and all my functions at home. I was overloaded.
After years of hard work and double shifts, I was mentally exhausted. My body began to show signs. I needed to stop. 🚨
“If you really want to deal with stress, you’ve got to stop trying to be a hero and start caring for and about yourself.” — Annie McKee
It was the moment to review my life to define my next steps. I was unwilling to work until my physical and mental exhaustion to have something at the end of my life. My 'midday' had arrived, and I decided to turn the table and choose a path that made sense. I learned to say NO, and I started to care for myself.
I needed to find a practical solution, seek a balance, and set my goals to define how I spend my hours.
In the meantime, the perfect outlet was travelling.
✔️ Takeaway: Be gentle with yourself. You are doing the best you can.
Once a year, go someplace you've never been before.
The UK 🇬🇧, Germany 🇩🇪, France 🇫🇷, the USA 🇺🇸, Argentina 🇦🇷, Austria 🇦🇹, Portugal 🇵🇹, Switzerland 🇨🇭… every year I got to know a new country. Cultures, languages, smells, tastes... Freedom lies in the road you take.
✔️ Takeaway: Replace fear of the unknown with curiosity.
If you can't stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.
I was tired of racing against the clock to maintain my standard of living. I was willing to improve myself, but the country would remain the same.
So… what would change? 🤔
"Familiar faces,
in the same old places.
Can you see I am changing?
I am feeling distant.
I hate the feeling."
Paraphrasing my friend designer Livia Hakala:
“Brazil is a handsome hook up buddy, but an abusive husband!”What were we looking for?
- Quality of life;
- More kindness, less judgment;
- Living as a global citizen;
- Gender equality;
- Child learning focused on soft skills before technical skills;
- Safety / Low crime rates;
- Return on investment from our taxes.
In other words, Canada. 🇨🇦
I didn't have the illusion that I would live in a perfect country, but I knew it would be better. There's no doubt.
✔️ Takeaway: Don't quit your daydream.
Ready, set, go!
Since 2015, after my first daughter was born, I have considered living abroad. The decision to immigrate came at the end of 2017 after I shared with my wife that I wouldn't put up with living my current lifestyle. I shared my plans to guarantee we had the same page. After all, it's about change and the whole family, and it also impacted her adaptation. After many conversations, spreadsheets and research… She acceded to move on!
So I needed to improve my English language skills, and the excuse 'I don't have time' didn't make sense. Now it depended 100% on my effort. So I needed to be pertinacious.
How many times did we give up on goals supposing they were hard to achieve?
I was willing to be a bit better every day. So I decided to study English online at 6 am to prepare myself to be pleasant and deliver 100% of my learning concentration. That was my spare time. I had an excellent mentor in my English course, and it made all the difference. My English could be more fluent, but it was enough to reach my aim.
✔️ Takeaway: Adjust your pace, not your purpose.
We began our exploratory trip to Canada in 2018 twice (January and October). We decided to visit Toronto, Montreal and Ottawa in different seasons to make sure we made the right choice.
On our first exploratory trip, we faced the worst winter in Ottawa since 1947 🥶; we tried to live a daily routine studying a full-time English immersion at CLLC in Ottawa for one month.
Ottawa chose us!
Upon returning to Brazil, we reflected a lot on all the latest events in our lives. On my last day in Ottawa, I thought:
Man, that is where I belong! 😍
“Stranger’s faces,
unfamiliar places.
I am no one to them,
but I could be something.
I love the feeling!”
I wasn't looking to live a Canadian dream, but for me, it was much more than I could have imagined!
- A globally-recognized city to live among the differences.
- The second-highest standard of living out of large cities in the Americas.
- The third-cleanest city in the world.
- More than 1,000 parks across the city.
- Great for families and excellent for educating children.
- Lowest violent crime.
- Chilly weather (Boiling is not for me! 🥵).
- One of the hottest and most diverse tech hubs in North America: Kanata North, is a diverse technology sector and its potential as a booster for innovation and economic growth in Ottawa.
- England 🏴 and France 🇫🇷 in the same place (I love London, my wife, Paris. It was an excellent mid-term, wasn't it?
The last hurrah
Indeed, immigrating to Canada wasn't just the luck of the draw, I was willing to do whatever it took to get a Permanent Resident Visa from Brazil. It would allow me to live in the country with almost all Canadian citizens' rights (and soon become one of them).
It would be best if you were open-minded before starting an immigration process. It is meaningless otherwise. Often, people give up because they are not sure of their choice. Starting a new life requires more than desire. Calls for action. Nobody said that it would be a piece of cake!
Behind the achievements, there are sacrifices that people don't see.
I kept working hard, saving money and giving up many things, but every dedication was worth it. It is a constant battle for the uncertain, so emotional self-control was fundamental to focus on fulfilling all the prerequisites. My primary motivation was my family.
After one and a half years of preparation, I submitted my application. Finally, nine months after (and agonizing waiting days), I received the confirmation of Permanent Residence.
Oh my goodness, it was real! I nailed it! 🙌
✔️ Takeaway: So many of our dreams at first seem impossible, then seem improbable, and then, when we summon the will, they soon become inevitable.
Reset, Readjust, Repeat.
In preparation for living in Canada, I decided to move out of web analytics and fully immerse myself in UX design.
It was my favourite area at the University, and I firmly believed in the industry's job market maturity. So I've decided to dabble in the UX field again.
So I travelled to São Paulo ✈️ thrice for a global training program (User Experience for Project Managers Certification) by UX Alliance, a worldwide network connecting 25 countries (including Canada, conducted by Yu Centrik in Montreal, Quebec). I have completed all three levels: Adopting UX, Running UX and Leading UX. It was amazing!
✔️ Takeaway: The best way to predict the future is to create it.
The Harvest year.
We received the confirmation of permanent residence in 2019, and our second child was born that year. This was my year! 💪
To prepare for Canada, I decided to plan my arrival with three Canadian experiences: volunteering, studying, and working.
So I looked for ways to reach these fundamental practices.
Canadian volunteer experience
I knew how important volunteering was, and how essential it is to Canada's life. For many years, I had the chance to volunteer in Brazil in retirement homes with my mom. So I started volunteering as a Designer working remotely from Brazil, helping the core team of Connected Canadians, an NGO based in Ottawa that connects older adults with technology and training and supports them.
I met wonderful people who made me believe that the world can be better by combining small actions, kindness and purpose. 💙
**UPDATE** [After two years, I was promoted to Design Director at Connected Canadians]. Yay! 😃
Canadian study experience
I started my online User Experience Designer Certification at the University of Toronto. It was a hands-on program, and the U of T was one of the most prestigious in the world—enough reasons for my decision.
I was able to work with local cases and understand what the Canadian job market expected from me.
Canadian work experience
I got my first job as a UX Designer in Canada on LinkedIn, still living in Brazil. After participating in a remote interview, I received a chance to work on a UX project after a take-home UX challenge in an amazing digital consulting company based in the downtown core of Ottawa.
**UPDATE** [This job opened up new opportunities for me, initially as a contractor, then as a full-time employee, and now as a Lead UX Designer]. Cheers! 🥂
✔️ Takeaway: Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
We immigrated two weeks before COVID-19 spread to Canada.
Crazy times, eh? 😷 We were starting from scratch amid a pandemic.
We needed to take a deep breath and live a day at a time.
Isn't that how life is taught?
✔️ Takeaway: This, too, shall pass.
Highs & lows, but keeping moving forward.
It is unthinkable to talk about my UX Designer occupation without considering my challenges as a human being. I have shared some achievements, but I have failed many times. Nevertheless, challenges have permanently moved me, and I built my future with resilience, even in the face of adversity. The story might have been different if I hadn't lived life's experiences.
My interest in learning new paths also developed my determination to be a better person every day. I have always been with someone at each stage of the journey, and indeed, you don't get anywhere alone.
Life is a journey of twists and turns, and I look forward to what lies ahead!
✔️ Takeaway: Way leads to way. Stay tuned to the signs.
The quotes inspirations for my article came from them: Annie Mckee, Fred Devito, Maria Khan, Chris Grosser, John Kennedy, Avett Brothers, Eleanor Roosevelt, Seneca, Robert Frost, Abraham Lincoln, Paulo Coelho, Susan Jeffers, Christopher Reeve and Future Jr.
