What led you into design?
I graduated with a degree in Communications and Journalism from Bogotá, Colombia. After graduation, I worked as a Communications Associate, where I successfully led a website redesign project. This involved hiring an agency to improve the overall experience, and during the project, I developed a keen interest in the field of design. When I moved to San Francisco, I pursued my passion for design by starting as a Visual Designer and eventually transitioning to UX-UI. In the fall, I'll be starting my master's in Design Management, Strategy, and Entrepreneurship at Elisava University in Barcelona. I'm fascinated by the limitless possibilities of designing and enjoy solving problems for users through thoughtful design solutions.
What does a typical day look like?
I woke up at 6 am, hit the gym for a workout class, and enjoyed a nourishing breakfast with coffee to kick off my day. Even when working from home, I believe in starting my day with intention and preparing for the day ahead.
As a lead product designer, my day-to-day responsibilities vary greatly depending on our team's quarterly goals. Some days, I gather user insights and collaborate with our Product Manager to create a comprehensive approach, analyze metrics and requirements, and develop user stories. On other days, I'm lucky enough to dive deep into designing and prototyping. Regardless of the day, I'm always busy with multiple meetings and taking advantage of my time for more creative work when possible.
After work, I enjoy teaching UX-UI bootcamp at Memorisely, to be honest, is where I find much of my energy. I love sharing my knowledge of the design process, teaching tools like Figma and Figjam, and helping new designers hone their skills.
What's your workstation setup?
Where do you go to get inspired?
I find inspiration in stories, art, architecture, food, and the dedication of those who work hard to achieve their dreams. To feed my curiosity, I frequent museums, read biographies, and find inspiration through SoulDoodles.org - a side project I launched four years ago that celebrates the stories of illustrators and artists who create art despite societal pressures.
What product have you recently seen that made you think this is great design?
Recently, I've been fascinated by the explosion of web3 and artificial intelligence. One product that caught my attention is Glasp, a Google Chrome plugin that serves as a highlighter for web text, generates summaries based on annotations, and provides a platform for users to see what others are highlighting. It's an ingenious way to store all the knowledge you gather from the internet in one place.
What pieces of work are you most proud of?
One of my most significant achievements as a designer was leading the redesign of the information architecture and user experience for multiple pages on the first e-commerce platform I worked on. This project allowed me to successfully transition from visual design to UX-UI, a goal I had set for myself when I joined the Berkeley program.
Recently, I collaborated with the Director of Design to improve our product development process. We conducted a fun workshop with the team and collected feedback from everyone, which we used to create a more efficient approach to what each team needs to document and plan while building products. This effort has significantly impacted the company by fostering better coordination and teamwork among different functions.
I am currently working as a Senior Service Designer and am responsible for developing a strategy to adopt Figma, a design tool, for a well-known brand. This project is exciting for me as it allows me to combine my past experience with my teaching experience. It will have a significant impact on the team by facilitating faster collaboration among designers.
What design challenges do you face at your company?
Working in a startup environment requires you to be involved in multiple areas of the business, which can be both challenging and rewarding. As a designer, I feel fortunate to have a supportive team where we can brainstorm and improve our working methods and give and receive feedback. In a startup, building a solid foundation for users is crucial, and since we are providing a service, it is essential to understand both the user and the business deeply. Some challenges can be dealing with multiple stakeholders, which can sometimes slow down progress.
What music do you listen to while designing?
Any advice for ambitious designers?
I often share my personal story with my students to inspire and motivate them. As the first immigrant in my family, I arrived in the USA without speaking a word of English. I tell them that if I could make it, they can achieve anything they set their minds to. Life is full of opportunities, and we should trust our energy and follow our passions. We all have unique talents and strengths that make us who we are, and we should embrace them to open doors and create our own paths in life.
Anything you want to promote or plug?
If you seek inspiration, tap into your inner creativity and bring back the joy of art-making. Check out Souldoodles.org! Our platform is dedicated to helping people of all ages reconnect with their creative side and find inspiration in the world around them. With many resources, monthly prompts, and a supportive community, Souldoodles is the perfect place to start your creative journey.
Related Interview
