MY JOURNEY
Thinking strategy & design
Artsy, humanist, and a bit nerdy, I pursued majors in both Marketing and Arts, then donned various hats throughout my two-decade career with startups and B2B ventures:
— Founder, entrepreneur, contractor, collaborator, freelancer
— UX/UI designer, graphic designer, copywriter
— Team leader, planner, project manager, product owner…
What I've always enjoyed most about my job is combining strategic thinking with design. When I delved headfirst into Data Analytics in 2020, it unexpectedly fulfilled this aspect, and I found joy in crafting solutions to everyday challenges. This surprising turn completely redirected my career path towards product development.
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HOW I SEE DESIGN
A mix of human & business
Design is key to creating truly successful products, as it unveils (and advocates for) the mysteries of the ultimate decision-maker in any business: the user.
To uncover these fundamental truths hidden behind research, conversations and numbers, I've distilled some guiding principles that have anchored my work in many industries, including technology, data analytics, supply chain, media, telecom, NGOs, education…
1. The essence of Design is reading people
People are mysterious, creative, different, unpredictable, changeable.
As a designer, I need to capture ideas that often linger vaguely beneath the surface, shapeless, unspoken, hiding in the unknown.
In these depths lie the user needs, pains, complaints, and desires that feed my work.
So the first thing I do is navigate through the human part of design, to spot ambiguities and complexities in behaviors and relations.
2. Creativity lies in asking the right questions
May sound counterintuitive, I know. But hang on with me.
I’ve witnessed many delightful solutions be designed, developed, tested, used, then fail to address the user's real underlying pain.
This triggers a snowball effect that drags massive amounts of team time and resources straight to the trash can.
Tackling complexity is tricky. After gathering all pain-issue feedstock, the real problem may lie beneath the fifth "why".
So I never underestimate the power of deep, spot-on questions, and invest 80% of my time digging to uncover the root problem.
That's where creativity lies, and razor-sharp ideas are born.
3. The right solution comes with stakeholders
Efficient design solves concrete problems, so I ensure that I thoroughly understand the requirements, resources, constraints, goals, and insights.
To enrich context, broaden my perspective, and nail a solution, I listen actively to users, developers, sales folks, marketers, business teams.
4. Learn & adapt is the only constant
To remain relevant in technology, I adapted to various environments, organizational structures, management styles, business maturity levels, and roles.
I have continuously learned methodologies, soft skills, hard skills, studied human behavior, tools, languages—anything that connects me with people and the gig.
WHERE I WANT TO BE
Between creativity & strategy
Throughout my career, I've always thrived in intersections, where new ideas emerge.
You know, where intuition intersects with technology, where human complexity meets business demands, where diversity plays a crucial role.
- I find fulfillment in contributing to decision-making processes and fostering creativity.
Skills
Languages
Portuguese (mother language), English (fluent), Italian (proficient).
Tools
Figma, Miro, project management tools (ClickUp, Monday, Trello, Wrike…), Adobe Creative Suite (XD, Photoshop, Illustrator, InDesign), Office.
Methodologies
User-centric design, design thinking, agile, lean, Kanban, job to be done, double diamond.
PERSONAL INTERESTS
Arts & Humanities
Studying humanities, arts, and aesthetics has always played a significant role in my creative life.
I find my greatest happiness when I’m dancing, performing on stage, and photographing.
I relish being surrounded by culture, education, social thinking, collaborative teams, and diverse people.
FAQ
Why is my logo a bee?
People always wonder about it.
When I started freelancing long ago, I went into logo-creation mode. Staring at a blank canvas, the only thing that crossed my mind was the fact that my name, Debora, means "bee".
So I drew one, grew fond of it, and the bee buzz simply stayed.
