Dear Reader, please note this page is long form. I know nowadays it's frowned upon, but for those who don't shy away from the web 1.0 days, let's reminisce.

The power of servant leadership

Reflecting on my four years in UX Design, I’ve come to appreciate the subtle nuances of effective leadership. It’s not about wielding power or micromanaging, but about fostering a supportive environment where individuals can thrive. I’ve witnessed the transformative impact of patience and encouragement, as they empower team members to explore, learn, and grow.

The best leaders I’ve encountered have a remarkable ability to see potential where others might overlook it. They don’t shy away from challenges but embrace them as opportunities for growth. By providing guidance and mentorship, they help individuals overcome their perceived limitations and unlock their full potential. It’s a humbling experience to witness firsthand the positive impact of such leadership on a team.

So what does this mean?

The insights I've gained about effective leadership have deeply inspired me and ignited a newfound passion within me. I've always felt a strong desire to help others, but I never considered leadership as a professional path. Witnessing the transformative impact of mentorship and support on individuals has filled me with a sense of purpose. Seeing someone realize their full potential, develop new skills, and gain confidence is incredibly rewarding. This is something I want to spend the rest of my life doing, helping others grow, develop, and change their lives.

I'm now drawn to the idea of building strong teams and fostering a supportive environment where individuals can thrive. By empowering others and providing guidance, I hope to contribute to the development of exceptional designers and ultimately create better products that serve the needs of our users. This approach aligns with my personal values and offers a fulfilling way to make a positive impact on both individuals and the broader design community.

A special thanks to my mentors and leaders <3

Below you can learn about my mentors and past bosses, each of them have made an incredible impact in my life not only as a UX Designer, but they have shown me that I am capable of much more than I ever thought.

Without them, I would not be the woman I am today. Thank you, to each of you, for changing my life in a positive way and for always pushing me to be better than I was yesterday.

  • From CSULB to giving me my first Product Design job....

    Salina was one of my first instructors during my time at Cal State University, Long Beach. Within two months of the program she saw something in me and asked me if I would be interested in working for her at a new start up as a Junior Product Designer.

    UMMMMM.... YES!

    Of course I said yes and it was one of the most rewarding experiences of my life. Within 4 months of working under her incredible leadership, I was promoted to “Product Designer”... that’s right. The “Junior” was dropped.

    Thank you, Salina, for seeing my potential and giving me an opportunity even though I still had so much to learn. Thank you for always being patient with me and asking me constructive questions about my design decisions that encouraged me to think through the choices I made and acknowledge where I made assumptions. Thank you for allowing me to explore emergent trends and designs that were used in our work for 2ndSun. You’ve helped make me a more introspective and contemplative designer by your exampled approach.

    -

    What Salina taught me

    A dood design approach needs exploration, errors, and constructive discussion.


    • Fosters Critical Thinking: Allowing for exploration and errors encourages designers to think critically about their work and identify potential flaws or areas for improvement.


    • Promotes Innovation: By embracing mistakes and constructive criticism, designers are more likely to experiment with new ideas and approaches, leading to innovative solutions.


    • Builds Resilience: Learning from mistakes helps designers develop resilience and the ability to bounce back from setbacks.


    • Encourages Collaboration: Constructive discussion and questions create a collaborative environment where designers can learn from each other and share insights.


    • Facilitates Growth: By making mistakes and reflecting on them, new designers can identify their knowledge gaps and develop a deeper understanding of design principles.

  • “You two might hit it off”

    And we did! 



    My old boss, Allison (see below), was chatting with Adriana one night, and realized that as a fellow ENFJ we might get along.

    Upon meeting Adriana, I felt completely inspired by her way of working with others and how she mentored me. She is patient, encouraging, and challenges you to dive deeper and push yourself in your designs. Each time I showed her my work, like a specialized doctor, she was able to pick out the areas that needed work. And I was energized by this because of how she did it.

    I saw the power of altruism first hand and I thought, “This is the kind of impact I want to make for others too.”

    -

    What Adriana taught me

    Design with empathy, altruism, and clarity.

    • Understand User Needs: Put yourself in your users' shoes and deeply understand their goals, motivations, and pain points.


    • Empathize with Teammates: Build strong relationships with your team members by understanding their perspectives and challenges.


    • Tell Compelling Stories: Craft narratives that resonate with your audience by highlighting the emotional impact of your design work.


    • Use Empathy to Drive Decisions: Let empathy guide your design choices, ensuring that your solutions are user-centered and meaningful.


    • Foster a Culture of Empathy: Encourage empathy within your team and organization to create a more inclusive and collaborative work environment.

  • I knew you were an ENFJ


    Allison was another instructor of mine during my time at CSULB. I met her about halfway through my program and about one month after her seeing my work in the program, she asked me if I would be interested in working as a UX Researcher for Marketron as a contractor.

    OMG YES!

    It was one of the best times of my life, sincerely.

    “Did I, out of all the students in the program, just get another job from another instructor?!”

    I couldn’t believe it. But then again I could because I had told myself when I made the decision to career pivot, that I would give this my 100% and I would do the absolute best work that I could possibly do. Was I perfect?

    Nope.

    But did my instructors, turned bosses, see that I was eager to learn and a quick study?

    Yes.

    Thank you, Allison, for giving me such an incredible opportunity that has shaped me so profoundly as a designer. In all my design work now, I find myself pushing for research. I deeply enjoy psychology and the ability to hear directly from users and be entrusted with their thoughts, feelings, pain-points, needs, work-arounds and more is such an honor.

    Allison taught me so much during my time working for her like: how to use Dovetail, create affinity diagrams, build a tagging taxonomy, story mode, research summaries, reports, and top-line findings. She taught me with an open, relaxed, and trusting method. She gave me strong and constructive feedback and taught me how to be meticulous in my research and relentless in my representation of users and their needs.

    Thank you, Allison for believing in me and helping me grow so much as a UX Designer and Researcher.

    -

    What Allison taught me

    UX Research is the art of really listening and really telling the users’ stories. Advocating for the user is of the utmost importance.

    • Story Mode: Encourage participants to share their experiences through storytelling, allowing for more natural and unprompted data to emerge. This approach can provide deeper insights into user motivations, emotions, and behaviors.

    • Disseminating Findings to C-Suite Executives: Clearly communicate the key findings and recommendations to C-suite executives in a way that is both informative and persuasive. Use visuals, such as charts, graphs, or personas, to help illustrate your points and make the data more accessible.

    • Meeting with the Design Team: Share your research findings with the design team to ensure that they are fully understood and incorporated into the design process. Advocate for the users' needs and provide specific recommendations based on your research.

    • Creating a Research Repository: Establish a centralized repository for all your research materials, including interview transcripts, survey results, and analysis documents. This will serve as a valuable resource for future reference and decision-making.

    • Presenting Work to Advocate for Users' Needs: When presenting your findings, use compelling storytelling techniques to highlight the importance of addressing users' pain points and meeting their needs. Use visuals and real-world examples to illustrate your points and make a strong case for your recommendations. Additionally, clearly communicate whether your assumptions were validated or not, and discuss any unexpected findings that may have emerged.

  • What’s UX??????

    That’s right. I didn’t even know what UX was... I feel so silly writing that now, but it’s true. There was a time, many moons ago, that I didn’t know what UX even was.

    Until.... Jake.

    Upon hearing me rant about how much I love telling stories and enjoy the critical eye that film editing requires, Jake told me one day, “You know, you might like UX because there’s psychology, creativity, critical thinking, and story-telling all in one.”

    I thought, “fat chance, it sounds too good to be true.”

    Turns out, it’s a real thing and it’s actually the most rewarding thing I’ve ever done in my life. Thanks Jake, for seeing this potential in me and setting me on this path.

    -

    What Jake taught me

    The Importance of Agility and Problem-Solving in UX Design

    • Embrace Uncertainty: UX design often involves working with incomplete or evolving requirements. Embracing uncertainty and focusing on finding solutions is key to success.


    • Prioritize Problem-Solving: Strive to solve the core problem as quickly as possible, rather than aiming for perfection. A good solution is often better than a perfect one that takes too long to deliver.

    • Communicate Proactively: Keep your team informed about your progress and any challenges you encounter. Focus on communicating solutions and next steps, rather than assigning blame.

    • Leadership Values Action: Effective leaders are more interested in seeing progress and problem-solving than assigning blame. Demonstrate your commitment to finding solutions and taking ownership of your work.

    • Iterate and Improve: UX design is an iterative process. Be prepared to make adjustments based on feedback and new information. Focus on continuous improvement and learning from your experiences.