“The delicate balance of mentoring someone is not creating them in your own image, but giving them the opportunity to create themselves.” Whether Ty realizes it or not, this is deeply embedded in his ethos as a Design Leader, Teacher, Mentor and Human being. He was my UX Design instructor at DevPoint Labs. He built the foundation that I now stand upon as a Designer. Class with Ty was introspective, suggestive, and never ceased to dissolve the clock. One of Ty’s mantras for the class was “Why?” This created a learning environment that made us confident in our work but also be willing to question the norm and create the unexpected. It’s rare when a teacher can balance this. After graduation, Ty has been readily available to answer any questions that I’ve had. These vary from what tool to use on a project, books to read on a specific part of a user interface, or some small talk. Ty actively engages with the UX Design alumni by posting a steady stream of prospective job listings, upcoming conferences, books, and the latest articles in software. Ty is a real mensch and I am honored to have studied under him.
