Digital Bytesize – Learner Feedback: Ciara Simms

In the fast-paced world of digital, where industries in the creative sector such as Games Development and Website Design are constantly evolving, there’s never been a better time to learn new skills to pursue an exciting career in this field.

Our Digital Bytesize course provides a specific Creative Skills pathway, designed to equip you with everything you need to thrive in the creative industries, covering various aspects of games design and development, creating websites and an introduction to programming.

On completion of the course, you’ll receive three industry accredited qualifications to add to your CV to showcase your newfound knowledge and skills.

One learner who recently completed the programme is Ciara from Huddersfield, who shares her journey and insights about her experience in this short blog.

Ciara’s story

Having recently left her last job, Ciara was looking for a fresh start and some career guidance. Having gained a interest in gaming and digital, Ciara opted to enrol on the Creative Skills pathway of our Digital Bytesize course to explore these interests further.

I needed direction and a clear guide since leaving my last job and this course seemed to fall into my lap at just the right time.

The games design portion was the most appealing to me, as I have always loved gaming, but I felt that the web design portion would be extremely helpful to know also and use for my own personal branding in the future.

Projects completed

As part of the Creative Skills pathway, learners are tasked with coming up with their own idea for a game and building this using online gaming software. This appealed to Ciara, who told us how she plans to further develop the game she created. She also referenced the web design and coding aspects of the course and how she enjoyed getting to grips with this aspect of the course.

I completed both planning and research of my original game design, which isn’t fully complete but has a great concept, tone and story that I am really proud of. I am thinking of continuing to develop it, with a few levels in mind (rising in difficulty) but accessible enough for kids and adults alike to enjoy. I also enjoyed getting into the technical aspects of the course.

Specifically, this was the coding/programming in the games design unit, learning the fundamentals of computer and coding language. Getting to grips with understanding a different kind of logic was really fascinating.

Then when we got to making the website, I really enjoyed collating all the content and information into a final product that matched the criteria and aesthetic that I envisioned. It made me see the process of content creation as less daunting than I had perceived it before.

Advice for others

Ciara also offered some words of advice for anyone else thinking of joining the Digital Bytesize course and her shared her tips for making the most of it.

I would say be prepared, and don’t underestimate how much you will learn in a short period of time. Also, be open minded to what new information you may learn. Offer your ideas when necessary, but be more willing to listen than to speak.