Rizwan studied the BSc Cyber/Computer Forensics and Counterterrorism at Birmingham City University before joining Jisc's graduate scheme
I chose a career in this field because I'm naturally drawn to solving complex problems in digital systems.
As a UX designer, I work across research, product, and engineering to:
I found the role through GetMyFirstJob and applied to join Jisc's graduate scheme. It was initially a two-year contract designed to give structured exposure across teams and projects.
When I received the offer, I had actually been offered two other roles at the same time, so I had a decision to make. I chose Jisc for two reasons. First, it was a formal graduate scheme, which meant structured development rather than being dropped into a single fixed role. Second, Jisc's mission as a charity supporting education aligned with me. I wanted to work somewhere that had a wider impact beyond just commercial outcomes.
After completing the graduate programme, I moved onto a permanent full-time contract, which reflects the value I've been able to bring and the growth I've demonstrated since joining.
What gives me the most satisfaction is learning. Honestly, I live by the idea that every day is a school day.
I like walking into work knowing I'll leave knowing something I didn't before. Sometimes it's a small thing, like a better way to structure a workshop. Other times, it's understanding how a completely different team thinks, or getting my head around a new tool. That constant stretch keeps it interesting.
If I ever felt like I wasn't learning, I'd get bored. Growth is what makes the job feel worth it.
One of the biggest challenges is staying motivated all the time. Not because I don't care, but because in roles like this, there are slow periods, blockers, competing priorities, and sometimes work that feels more operational than impactful. You have to generate your own momentum.
Another challenge is ambiguity. You don't always get a clear brief. Sometimes you're handed something messy and expected to make sense of it. That can be uncomfortable, but I've learned that sitting with that discomfort and structuring it is part of the job.
And honestly, managing energy is a challenge too. When you care about doing things properly, it's easy to over-invest. So learning when something is 'good enough' versus perfect, that's something I'm still actively working on.
On paper, computer forensics and UX design seem unrelated, but for me, my degree shaped how I think.
It taught me to be analytical and methodical. You're constantly asking the questions:
That mindset translates directly into UX and digital work. When someone says, 'This feature isn't working,' I don't jump to solutions; I investigate.
It also made me comfortable with technical systems. I'm not intimidated by complexity.
One of my biggest achievements was leading the Heidi Plus Interactive Insights project, which was Jisc's number one priority at the time.
I designed and ran research sessions, synthesised feedback, and helped turn insights into a structured, actionable backlog that the team could implement immediately. This work directly improved feature prioritisation and made the platform far more user-friendly for the sector.
I've also built a process for handling future feature requests in Heidi Plus, creating a clear, evidence-based template that's now adopted across Jisc.
Another key achievement was redesigning the 'Digital Elevation Tool', a further education (FE) tool, by overhauling its resource management workflow. The previous system was inefficient, with a difficult HTML editor and cumbersome processes.
I mapped user workflows, identified pain points, proposed multiple solutions, prototyped in Figma, validated with the user, and worked closely with developers to implement the changes. The result was a smoother process that doubled successful content publishing and saved significant time.
I joined Jisc on the graduate scheme, but honestly, I never felt like I was 'just a grad'. I've always pushed myself to take on more.
For example, during my UX rotation, I didn't just focus on one project; I took on two at the same time. It was intense and super busy, but it gave me so many opportunities to learn, grow and make a real contribution. Since the graduate scheme was only for two years, I wanted to make the most of it.
The way my role has evolved mirrors how I've evolved, from learning and adapting to being proactive, to becoming confident in leading projects and influencing outcomes.
Looking ahead, I want my work to have a tangible impact, whether that's stepping into a project manager role, contributing to AI-driven initiatives, or shaping research that drives real change in education.
