Sydney Rasmussen began the experience design and management (ExDM) program eager to make an impact—she just wasn’t sure how her skills fit into that vision. Now in her final semester at the BYU Marriott School of Business, Rasmussen has built confidence in her ability to make the world a better place by aligning her individual strengths with real-world needs.
“When you start the program, you think, ‘How am I ever going to do this? I don’t feel confident in my ability to make a difference, no matter how big or small,’” explains Rasmussen, who grew up in Cottonwood Heights, Utah. “And then every single semester, the professors nurture you and show you what you’re capable of doing and designing.”
Rasmussen feels that focusing on her unique strengths rather than fixating on weaknesses has been pivotal to her growth. Through personality assessments and hands-on group projects, she has gained a thorough understanding of what she can bring to the professional table. “I have unique strengths that the person next to me doesn’t have. They have different strengths, and those are needed too. We all have something to contribute,” she says.
But understanding her strengths was only part of the equation. Rasmussen attributes her growing confidence to the experiential learning provided by the program. “In almost every single class, you have a real-world project to work on throughout the semester that utilizes the tools that you’re learning in the class,” she states.
One of Rasmussen’s favorite course projects involved teaming up with StudyZen, an app that helps parents support their children’s education. Using qualitative research methods, Rasmussen and her team gained insights that informed the actionable recommendations they provided StudyZen, suggesting ways the app could empower parents through enhanced customization features, simplified onboarding, and refined user-centric design. “It’s incredible to be able to look back at the end of the semester and look at what I made with a team of purpose-driven people,” she shares.
Through hands-on learning, company site visits, networking, and her role as a senior experience strategist in the ExDM program’s first student-run experience design lab, Rasmussen has built her self-assurance and discovered that businesses create more effective and sustainable solutions when they focus on meeting people’s needs.
She put this principle to the test during her internship with a virtual, holistic health clinic, where Rasmussen focused on improving the experience of patients enrolled in an online program designed to slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s or Alzheimer’s. Upon noticing consistent patient pain points, she applied the tools she gained in her ExDM classes to nail down patients’ underlying needs and design a solution.
For example, Rasmussen noticed that many patients struggled with technology and preferred tangible materials. Drawing on graphic design skills and design thinking strategies, she created a printed study notebook to help patients organize and remember key information from the program. Her confidence grew as many of the patients reported that the notebook addressed needs they didn’t even realize they had: “One of the patients even told me that she would have paid hundreds of dollars for the notebook because of the value that it brought her.”
Many patients also needed help achieving their nutrition goals, she shares: “I saw this need as an opportunity. I love cooking, so it was a great merging of strengths and needs.” After becoming certified in culinary coaching, she developed a virtual cooking class that covered time-saving tips and nourishing recipes. Rasmussen was met with positive reviews from patients affirming that the class increased their motivation to cook at home and helped them stay on track with their health goals, solidifying her confidence in her ability to make a difference.
At the close of her student experience in the ExDM program, Rasmussen has found that true confidence comes not just by recognizing your strengths, but by using those strengths to help others. She explains, “When you are truly empathizing with your audience, understanding their needs and stories, you will know exactly how to address them.”
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Written by Kathryn Cragun
