What’s your job about?
As a Product Design Manager, I help oversee the entire design process for a product from start to launch and ensure that the collaborating teams work smoothly together.
I am currently working on Metrobank’s investor app called Earnest. For this project, my team partners with service designers who set up blueprints that outline the ideal state of the app.
My job is to translate these plans into screen designs. However, the ideal state planned in blueprints usually isn’t the most feasible, so we have to check the problems and technical limitations to produce a viable product. It is my responsibility to communicate with developers about how to improve the design and ensure that we are creating quality work.
What’s your background?
I graduated from Ateneo de Manila University with a BFA in Information Design. When I was deciding on a course back in high school, I knew I wanted to pursue an art-related career. I had two choices: UP’s visual communication program and Ateneo’s information design program. Although I passed both, I chose Ateneo since UP’s program dabbled more on traditional art media while I was more accustomed to digital design.
Early in college, I joined a couple of orgs and often took on creative roles which involved creating publication materials and social media posts. The tasks were fun at first and I believed they made for good training since I’d have similar tasks in graphic design. However, I eventually grew tired of following prompts and no longer enjoyed the work.
Fortunately, I later discovered another org that helped kick-start my career in UX. The org's goal was to teach members how to create user-centric designs through a mentorship program. I enjoyed my experiences there and felt that I could make more impactful designs in UX. As a result, I decided to pursue a career in the industry, and I attribute many aspects of my career to the network I built from that organization.
What challenges did you encounter while pursuing a career in UX?
When I started out in UX design, I often felt like I wasn’t good enough for big projects and freelance work. I overcame this by trusting myself and remembering that I wouldn’t have those roles if no one believed in my skills. No matter how challenging it may seem, I remind myself that challenges are essential for my growth as a designer.
What’s the coolest thing about your job?
My job is never-ending and iterative; what we consider to be good design now may not be considered good next month. We have the power to change designs based on changes in user behavior and trends, and I personally like that dynamic aspect of the job.
What are the limitations of your job?
Since Metrobank prefers a more traditional work setup, we are required to report onsite from Mondays to Fridays. I prefer working from home since it takes at least an hour to commute to and from the office, and so it requires me to wake up very early and arrive home late. Sometimes we also encounter technical limitations that we must work around, but on the flip side, these struggles force us to be creative.
3 pieces of advice for students aspiring to work in the same industry