My mom always showed me how to make something out of anything. And my dad? Well, he is crazy about fixing – if it is not broken (yet!), he will make it work anew. So you might guess that I got from them a mix of creativity and practicality for a good start of the journey.
I fell in love with photography because it let me see the world in a whole new light. But soon, I craved something more hands-on, something practical. That's when graphic design came in and stole my heart. So I started to dance between art and design, never quite fitting into one box.
My first gig as a Graphic Designer quickly turned into a Project Manager role. My boss saw me planning and putting the impossible in order (at least I tried!) and thought, 'Why waste it?' So, I traded my paintbrush for a planner.
But as time went on, managing projects started to feel like watching paint dry. I wanted to dive deeper, to understand how things ticked. Making things look good was nice, but making them actually work? Now, that was the real challenge.
As I delved into usability working as a UX Designer, I realized there's beauty in simplicity. But then I thought, why stop there? Why not shake things up, push boundaries, and make users stop and think?
Balancing business goals with creative dreams became my daily stretch. Sometimes, it meant thinking outside the box, while other times, it meant building a whole new box from scratch.
Sure, I led teams, but I never forgot that we were all in this together. Hand in hand, we tackled every challenge that came our way.
When I didn’t design myself, I was glad to watch others grow, and this filled me with more joy than any finished project ever could.
I always had a desire to learn and discover new things, so there was also a time when I did research about transforming data into visual stories, just confirming that the boundaries between science and art are invisible.
For years, I battled with labels – am I a designer? An artist? A manager? A mentor?
But now, I realize I'm all of those things and more. Today, I embrace my duality. I'm a planner through and through – methodical, precise, and detail-oriented. But I'm also an inventor, thriving on creativity and thinking outside the box.
This is how I learned to speak the same language with all people no matter the profession and field of expertise by using experience and curiosity, working as a Product Designer.
So, here's to the journey – the twists, the turns, and everything in between. Because in the end, it's not about fitting into a mold. It's about breaking free and shaping your own trail.
And that is what makes me a good UX-er.
