I studied computer science, but I didn't want to be a coder.

I was studying Computer Science at Nirma University, but the more I explored the field, the more I realised that writing code was not what I wanted to spend my life doing.

That can sound strange when you are pursuing a computer science degree. The obvious expectation is that you will become a developer, work with code every day and build your career around software engineering.

I tried to understand that path. But I was more interested in the things happening around it: how a website looked, how someone experienced a digital product, how a brand communicated online and how an idea could be presented clearly.

I was looking for a creative connection with technology.

Finding a different side of the internet

My curiosity started taking me towards graphic design and web design. I began exploring how digital experiences were put together, how layouts worked and how visual decisions changed the way people understood a page.

From there, I found no-code tools and website builders. Webflow became one of the tools I spent time learning.

What interested me was the possibility of creating something useful without having to follow the traditional development route. I could think about a website’s structure, visual direction and user experience, then use tools that helped me bring those ideas together.

It felt closer to the kind of work I had imagined enjoying.

I was not suddenly an expert. I was exploring. I would find something interesting, look up how it worked and try to understand how I could use it. Some things made sense quickly; others took time. But the important part was that I wanted to keep learning.

That feeling mattered. For the first time, I was spending time on a skill because I was genuinely curious about it, not just because it was part of my degree.

A degree does not have to define the whole career

I do not think studying Computer Science was wasted time. It gave me a foundation in technology and helped me become comfortable with the digital world. What changed was my understanding of where I wanted to apply that knowledge.

I started seeing that there were many roles between design and technology. You could build websites, work on digital products, shape a brand’s online presence or help a business communicate better. You did not have to choose only between becoming a programmer and leaving technology behind.

That realisation opened up more possibilities.

It also taught me something I still believe: sometimes you understand what you want by trying the things you do not want. I did not sit down and create a perfect career plan. I explored different directions until a few of them started to feel right.

Design and web experiences became a bridge between my interest in creating things and the technology I was studying.

The beginning of learning by doing

Once I found an area that interested me, the next challenge was figuring out how to get better at it.

I did not have a detailed roadmap. I was learning from online resources, watching tutorials and trying to apply what I picked up. The internet became a classroom of its own.

At first, I was focused on learning tools. Over time, I began to understand that knowing a tool was only one part of the process. The real value came from knowing what to create with it and why.

That distinction would become more important when I started working on projects and thinking about business.

But before I could get there, I had to become comfortable with learning independently.

Next chapter: I did not have a formal roadmap for design or web development. I had YouTube, online courses and a willingness to figure things out by building.