Ask a UXpert: What’s One Thing Your Users Have Taught You? by Sheena Lyonnais, Adobe
"Usability testing, user research and web analytics are some of the tools you can use to intentionally learn more about your users, but sometimes users will teach you things when you’re least expecting it. They may challenge your perception of who they are and how they behave, or flat out refuse to put on your persona’s clothes. Users are people, and people don’t always do what’s expected of them.

We asked a few UX experts to share a lesson their users taught them that not only lifted the veil on who their users actually are, but also helped them to become better, more understanding designers. Here’s what they had to say." Read more...

I Dropped Out of School to Join Google. I Left a Year Later. by HustleTime
"I had no plans after I left Google but I knew it was the right thing for me to do. I love change and hate getting comfortable with things. I wasn’t really interested in other big companies like Microsoft or Samsung. Even though they are also working on some awesome projects, they were out of the question because I knew they would have similar experiences to Google. Did I want to join a well established startup like Uber or Airbnb? Maybe a slightly smaller startup where I would still work with a team of designers like Snapchat? If I wanted to try something completely new, I did have the option of joining very early stage startups as the first designer. I could even work on one of my own ideas and start a new startup from scratch. I know a lot of people, especially ones new to the industry or in the job search in general struggle through decisions like these. Let’s look at what was going through my mind during these few months and how I decided where to go based on advice from mentors as well as my own gut feelings, and maybe what I learned through my experience can help you with yours." Read more...

Drop out Google Prodigy Gives 3 Key Steps to Success by Spencer Porter, Influencive
"Ever dreamed of sliding down the Google slide, eating free food and kicking back in the sleep pods? This was made a reality for 21-year-old college dropout Andre Tacuyan.

Born in Guam and raised in Las Vegas, Andre dropped out of college at the age of 21—with opinions and views from family and friends making the decision to drop out of college and test his luck at doing what he really believed was right was one of the hardest decisions of his life. I think there are so many young entrepreneurs and teenagers that struggle to grasp the concept of making their own decisions and not being formed by others. Andre is proof that no matter what family, friends, and strangers believe, you should always trust your gut and your intuition." Read more...

Are You Andre? by Puddlescope
"Well, you could be. You have to keep reading to find out. Really. Go on.

It would only make sense to start the conversation with your passion, User Experience Design. Let’s go to the beginning?

I first got Photoshop when I was 9 years old. I spent the following years taking up graphic web design projects for my friends on Neopets and Myspace. I loved everything about design and technology for as long as I can remember. Some of my earliest childhood memories are in fact, those of using my computer and playing video games." Read more...

Become a Google Design Intern by Google Design
"Google Design is accepting applications for interns* in interaction design, visual design, prototyping, and motion design now through February 8th. And check out our latest Medium post—former Google interns (now full-timers!) offer some advice for landing your first design job." Read more...

The Career Machine by Nick Sears, Android
"I recently received a Linkedin message from a student getting ready to graduate from Pacific Lutheran University (PLU), a small private university located in Tacoma, Washington. After graduation, he was going to start a new job as a Designer at Google working on Android. He reached out to me because I graduated from PLU and I had worked at Google for almost eight years. In 2004, I Co-founded Android Inc. and six months later we sold the company to Google then built Android into the world's largest smartphone operating system. I don’t normally respond to unsolicited messages from Linkedin, but my curiosity was piqued.

Going straight from PLU to Google is almost impossible. Google is one of the most difficult companies in the world to get into. PLU is a fine school, but I can assure you it’s not where Google typically recruits. Surely, this young man was confused. Maybe he’s going to work for a company that outsources employees to Google. Maybe the stress of finding a job was too much and he’s gone off his meds. Or just maybe, he was proof that anything is possible when you have the right stuff. So I reviewed his Linkedin profile and it was easy to see why Google hired him. He had great work experience, great job skills and a great online presence. He wasn’t a one-dimensional “candidate,” he was real. He told his story and it moved me. After reviewing his profile, I invited him to talk on the phone. I was hooked, I had to find out if his real self was as interesting as his virtual self. Read more...

Career Stories Podcast: Andre Tacuyan by Tom Leung, Anthology
"Andre Tacuyan is a User Experience Designer at Google. Andre started his journey in Guam before moving to Las Vegas, and eventually going to college in Seattle where he interned at Microsoft. After his junior year at Pacific Lutheran University, he spent the summer as a Google intern before accepting his dream offer to work at Google full-time. Please join me as we travel through the early arch of Andre’s career. We will explore the highs, lows, and lessons learned from the fascinating early chapters of Andre Tacuyan’s career story. Andre stand out on our series, not only as the youngest person we have interviewed so far but also because he was able to land one of the hardest fresh grad jobs in the country without coming from an Ivy League or equivalent school, or having a web or industry contacts. He also has a pretty contagious sense of optimism, work ethic and “can do” ambition. I think it has a lot to do with his early success. I hope you will find his story an advice and as inspiring as I did. Well, I am super excited to have Andre Tacuyan on the show today. We have a very special interview lined up because Andre is going to our youngest interviewee on the podcast so far. Welcome to the show Andre!" Read more...

Outside of the Classroom Podcast: Andre Tacuyan by Tam Pham
"How do you land an internship at one of the best companies in the world? This is something I asked myself when I started college and I tried to find answers. Nothing online would help me because it was all generic advice… so I thought it would be best to find people at Google and ask for their advice. I went on Twitter and after randomly searching, I found Andre’s twitter handle and reached out. He gave me some great advice and even writes about his experience on his blog, reaching thousands of young professionals eager to learn from him." Read more...

One Future Googler's Inspiring Career Story by Tom Leung, Anthology
"The internet is chock full of posts from young professionals trying to figure out how to get ahead in their careers – and nearly as many from other people making a lot of money by offering advice that may or may not be effective. In the meantime, some people don’t have time to talk or post about it, because they’re too busy doing it.

Take Andre Tacuyan, a senior at Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma, WA. At 21 years old, Andre already has internships with both Microsoft and Google under his belt, and he’s accepted a post-graduation design job with a tech giant (you’ll have to read to the end to find out who). The neat thing about Andre is that he didn’t do things the way all of those career advisors tell you it “should” be done. Andre did what worked.." Read more...

Redesigning the Student ID Card by Pacific Lutheran University
"Andre Tacuyan talks about his senior capstone project at Pacific Lutheran University and his thoughts on the future of designing for wearable technology." Read more...

On the Net by Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno, Pacific Daily News
"Andre Tacuyan's Guam childhood had lots of artistic influences from his Filipino heritage, which he gives some of the credit for his internships with technology giants Google and Microsoft. He landed a highly competitive internship this summer with Google, following another internship with a team of Microsoft designers last year, when he was 19." Read more...

Pacific Lutheran University May Be Home to the Next Startup by Giancarlo Santoro
"When you hear the names Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft or Google, what comes to mind? Maybe you think of the countless hours you spent liking statuses or retweeting a celebrity quote. Or perhaps it reminds you of Googling the name of some obscure philosopher so you can write that essay on Microsoft Word. When Pacific Lutheran University junior Andre Tacuyan hears these names, he notices that they all have something in common: the ability to bring people, and information, together." Read more...

Andre Tacuyan: UX Design Intern at Microsoft and Google by Ezekiel Carsella, Book N Tech
"I became interested in art and technology at a very young age. While a lot of other kids were playing outside, I was busy drawing, coloring, or on my phone or computer. At 10 years old I received Photoshop and thought it was a big step up from KidPix and Microsoft Paint. At 12, I created my first website." Read more...

Dream Job Gets Real for Teen by Gaynor Dumat-ol Daleno, Pacific Daily News
"Nineteen-year-old Andre Tacuyan got his first break into designing information technology recently amid a tight job market. Former Guam resident has a story to share for the island's youth." Read more...