Interview with Paula Barcante

Paula Barcante ("PB") interviewed on Monday, 4 May.

Could you please tell us about your experience as a designer, artist, architect or creator?

PB : I am an award-winning, full-stack senior product designer with over six years of experience working for startups and large companies like Amazon and Zillow. I am an expert in UI/UX, mobile, interaction, and responsive design, as well as branding and illustration

How did you become a designer?

PB : Art has always been a huge part of my life. Early on, I denied becoming a designer because I didn’t think I could make a living. 1.5 years into university, while studying Economics, I realized I was giving up on a dream. I quit and applied to a University of Waterloo’s Global Business and Digital Arts problem. That was the best decision I ever made. Originally, I wanted to be an Art Director, until I went to a UX Design conference and fell in love with the ability to use psychology and human interactions in my designs. Later that year I was accepted into Amazon’s UX Design internship program in Seattle. The rest is history!

What are your priorities, technique and style when designing?

PB : I always start my designs with pencil and paper. I find it easier to erase things and re-draw or re-arrange on paper. As much s I love technology and software, there is nothing as pure as creating something that can be touched. This is then followed by creating low-fidelity designs on Sketch. Once I have a solid map of all the screens, I like to prototype it and start showing it to potential users. Based on their feedback, I then re-iterate the designs and start building in the visual aesthetics.

Which emotions do you feel when designing?

PB : Designing is my career, hobby, and job. I love what I do. When I’m designing it feels like time just doesn’t exist anymore. It feels liberating to me.

What is your growth path? What are your future plans? What is your dream design project?

PB : I am very passionate and excited about Joyster. So I that is where I will be dedicating most of my design time. Joyster is a mental health app that allows people to create journal stories in seconds to keep track of their mental and physical symptoms. Joyster aims to help with anxiety, depression, panic attacks, or any other mental health symptom. We are currently open for beta and will be launching early next month.

How do you keep up with latest design trends? To what extent do design trends matter?

PB : I believe it's very important to maintain an identity as a designer. However, I do love capturing inspiration from other talented designers. My favourite place to get inspirations from is Dribbble.

Would you tell us a bit about your lifestyle and culture?

PB : I was born in Brazil, but spent most of my life in Western Canada. I think the blend of these two cultures have shaped me as a person and designer. I also love listening to music while designing, especially as I go through the visual and branding phase. It helps me to think more creatively.