Technically, I'm a designer...

However, over the past decade (as titles have become more specific, roles more specialized and responsibilties more broad) the definition of what it means to be a designer has evolved and changed dramatically. I began my career focusing on visual and graphic design - spending my earliest years at a New York advertising agency. As companies began to prioritize 'digital transformation' my career did as well. Along with learning and applying user centered design principles and digital product development methodologies I eventually moved to the west coast. It was there I began to learn to code for personal projects and out of curiosity.

Companies across all industries have realized the business value of design. Consequently, whether industrial, digital, services or a combination, expectations have been set higher and skillset requirements have expanded. Processes and methodologies have been adapted from other industries - all in an effort of gaining a competitive edge. The goal: to deliver consistent high quality results that leverage new technology and engaging experiences.

A modern designer must be able to play contradictory roles at a moments notice. We're constantly adapting and questioning things, while at the same time refining our craft, learning new technologies and gaining a higher level understanding of what we're ultimately working towards.

I come from a diverse background (more on that here) and eventually my curiosity and continual learning of code opened doors to new opportunities as I expanded and refined my skillset. Ultimately, after a few years dedicated to technical roles, I decided to return to more design-centric ones. Technical knowledge is a nice-to-have and allows me to design with consideration given to any technical limitations or opportunities. This has been indespensible when establishing a design system or working as one of the first design hires for a startup by ensuring there is no handoff gap but rather collaboration from the start.

The foundation of good design isn't technical or specialization of any kind - it's communication and empathy. Delivering a product whether digitally or physically requires things that aren't taught but learned, refined and acquired over time. At a high level, the modern designer needs to understand their role, how it relates to the development process, as well as the organization, company and products they're creating. Without context and an understanding of the underlying systems or development process that drive business goals - how can a designer hypothesize the best solution? 'Design' is no longer just the 'look and feel' of a product. It's even more than one of many dimensions of a product.

Consequently, it isn't the responsibility of one group or organization to be applied to the surface at a designated stage of development in a silo. While it might sound overwhelming - having the ability and opportunity to ideate, create and learn new things as demands change each day is one of the most exciting parts of the job. With the paradigm shift away from command-based interfaces towards intent-based outcome-specific ones and the introduction of spacial and natural language interfaces, there's arguably never been a better time to be curious. We've already stepped into a new era and I'm excited to see what's next.

Background

Outside the office I'm alot of things, but always busy with some kind of project. I'm motivated by challenge (a guarenteed way to get me to do something is to tell me it's impossible given x y or z) and while I can spend hours researching, the exciting part is jumping into it, applying whatever your research revealed and creating a process as I go, using bits and pieces of what I've learned with whatever resources are available.

Real problems are complex and require strategic execution as well as meticulous craftsmanship - and for me that's when things get exciting. Adapting and applying past experiences and seeing siilarities in the most unlikely places, you quickly find out if you've been well equipped for whatever you've thrown yourself into. Sometimes you will fail but that's still progress. I spent a year renovating a house on my own. Admittedly I bit off more than I could chew but I learned alot of things that year.

It's experiences like that and a diverse background that's given me a unique perspective to view and solve problems from. You'll rarely find me with a screen glued to my face for entertainment.

As a kid I spent alot of time with my father in his workshop, building what kids build (at that age) from whatever scraps were around from projects he was working on. He'd say there's always something to do and if I wanted to stand around to go upstairs or outside and play. As I got older, that meant helping out on the property or having a part-time job. I had alot of part time jobs (they tended to 'easier' than the former, plus they paid better). From waiting tables, canvassing door-to-door for donations, custom art framer, a bank teller, certified first responder (EMT-B), swim instructor, ice-cream scooper and even landscaping one summer. In hindsight, everything I learned at home in that workshop and from my part-time work were invaluable lessons about hard work, people and mostly myself.

I spent most of undergrad buried in textbooks as a psych and biology major because I knew what manual labor felt like. After 3 years of the scientific method, I realized I didn’t want to end up where I was headed. I still thought analytically and enjoyed designing experiments to prove hypothesis', but I wanted to make or create things. At the time I didn't know what user experience or product design was, but eventually when I made my way there - the world made sense.

It's been quite a trip since then, from the New York advertising scene to the tech capital of Silicon Valley. What's interesting is that after several major life changes, as the dust has settled it's made things even more clear as far as what direction I need to start heading. I don't know where I'll end up 5 years from now and I still have alot to learn, but it's brought back an enthusiasm that reminds me why I decided to do this in the first place. Though I don't work on projects next to my dad anymore, sitting down with an open text editor or sketching out a blueprint for my own projects brings back a familiar feeling.