Phoenix Arizona, AZ, United States
Meet Asterisk, Practice Manager of Design Services who focuses on asking “why“ to create human-centered experiences.
Trailhead gives me a place to learn at my own pace and apply the learnings in a real place. This made me feel more comfortable trying new things and making mistakes.
Why did you become a designer? What does that mean to you?
I’ve always been a designer; designing is just something that’s been inside me all along. I started off drawing and making comic books as a kid. I am a constant doodler. In high school, I discovered Photoshop, Dreamweaver, and Flash. I also learned that designing things was an actual job that people had. Once I completed my time in the military, I promised myself that I would only work professionally doing something I really loved, so I enrolled in a digital design program in college. The rest is history.
Being a designer means that you question why something is the way it is and, at the same time, you can imagine ways to make it better or different.
Being a designer means that you question why something is the way it is and, at the same time, you can imagine ways to make it better or different.
How do you keep your solutions human-focused?
I always rely on placing myself in their position and remembering why they need to do what I am solving for. Remembering the 'why' outside of the context of the digital solution is essential. I also try to imagine how people have solved this in an analog/non-digital way. There are a lot of excellent references and design patterns in nature and in real life to follow. A famous example of this is tabs; they mimic actual file cabinet folder tabs.
How do you use design to create social and business value?
If you design human-centered solutions from an empathetic and honest perspective, you will create value for the people you are designing for. When you create real value for people, you will create value for the businesses that serve those people and the societies those people are part of. I rarely set out to solve a design problem from the perspective of creating social and business value. Instead, I strive to genuinely solve problems for people then align those solutions to business values (strategies) and social values.
How has Trailhead helped you? What was one of the best things you've learned?
Trailhead has given me a place to learn at my own pace and apply the learnings in a real place (orgs). This made me feel more comfortable with trying new things and making mistakes. Some of the best things I’ve learned about are the Salesforce Lightning Design System (SLDS) and Lightning Web Components (LWCs). LWCs are great for high-fidelity prototypes and dev handoff.
What advice do you have for new Trailblazers?
Try to learn about things that you are not comfortable with or may not know much about. Learning more about the subjects outside of your own expertise can make you better at what you do. It increases your overall understanding and will allow you to empathize more with peers outside of your career field.
