What's your career story so far?

I initially had been working as an account executive at an advertising agency, where I felt stuck and not able to be involved with the creative. So after joining Love circular and completing the course 3 months later I got my first Product design role, a few jobs and freelance projects later I am now a Product Designer at Paramount Pictures.

You've had more than one job as a designer since completing Love Circular, how did you transition from your first to your second role?

Firstly was figuring out what was needed from my next role that the first wasn't giving me. Its important to figure that out, because it could just be worth asking especially if its a promotion or more responsibility. But if the current role cant provide those things, explore your options and get your portfolio filled with key visuals and case studies that outline the now experienced designer you are. Speak with the right recruiters and you'll have that next job offer in no time.

How did you transition into more senior roles so quickly?

Transitioning into more senior roles requires a combination of experience, skill, and networking. It's important to continue building your portfolio, taking on challenging projects, and developing new skills. Networking is also crucial - attend industry events, connect with other professionals on LinkedIn, and seek out mentorship opportunities. Keep an eye out for job postings that align with your career goals, and don't be afraid to negotiate for a higher salary or more responsibilities. With persistence and hard work, you can continue to grow and advance in your design career.

What was your first salary as a designer?

£35,000 / $44,000 USD

What's your proudest achievement as a designer?

I've had a lot of more recent ones but one of the most memorable ones was managing the entire process of researching and designing a rota system for my first UX/UI role. All the work turn out beautifully and till date love seeing how its progressed. Was a point in my design career I really had to ignore my imposter syndrome.

What's a typical day in your life?

Nicely enough I work with a team who are fully flexible and remote, which is perfect for being a new parent, my son who is pretty much my alarm wakes me up at about 5/6am, after getting him prepped for the day I jump on medium and read a few articles and just look through design inspo. After that I jump into notion and figure out my tasks for the day and wether its a design day or a day to connect with all the stakeholders involved in my projects.

What's a common misconception about design that you'd like to dispel?

A common misconception about design is that it's all about making things look pretty. While aesthetics are certainly important, design is much more than that. It's about solving problems and creating experiences that are intuitive, user-friendly, and effective. Designers need to be strategic thinkers who can work collaboratively with cross-functional teams to create solutions that meet business goals and user needs.

How do you approach design critiques?

Design critiques are an essential part of the design process, and I approach them with an open mind and a willingness to learn. I try to listen carefully to feedback from my colleagues and stakeholders, and I ask questions to make sure I understand their perspective. I also try to balance their feedback with my own design intuition and expertise, and I work to incorporate their feedback in a way that maintains the integrity of the design solution.

How do you stay inspired?

My go to platforms for inspiration are Mobbin and godly. Mobbin is the best way to easily see screens of real apps and web apps out there, its saved me so much time to see at a glance a specific pattern such as login screens or news feeds etc. Second is godly which is great to go onto and just purely see creatively developed websites.

What advice would you give yourself if you were to start over again?

Honestly just to utilise the community and other designers more, it helps so much to be passionate about design in every way rather than just focussed on getting the theory right. In addition practise more often, design is like a muscle you train, the more hours you put in, sometimes the better the output in the long run and quicker you get because of familiarity to UI/UX patterns.

What's your favourite album/playlist at the moment?

I’m an RnB man so any chill RnB vibe playlists are perfect for me but favourite album on repeat is ‘My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’.