How gaming inspired my career in design

I used to build towns in The Sims for hours, not knowing it was the first step toward becoming a professional designer.

Growing up, I was obsessed with games like The Sims, Zoo Tycoon, and later Cities: Skylines. But I didn’t really “play” them the way other kids did. I didn’t care about the goals—I just wanted to build things that looked cool.

I’d spend literal hours just designing a restaurant or laying out the perfect zoo path. I had folders of screenshots labeled like they were part of a portfolio.

It wasn’t until college that it clicked. I was sitting in a digital media class, messing around with layouts and interface mockups, and I felt that same buzz I used to get when my Sims house came together perfectly.

Now I work in UX design. And I swear, those childhood gaming sessions taught me more about spatial design, user flow, and visual communication than any textbook ever did.

Sometimes your “wasted time” as a kid turns out to be your calling. You just don’t see it until later.