Nus Hogan

Where are you based as a UX/UI designer?

I am based in Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

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What led you into UX/UI design?

I worked in advertising for a few years as a designer/art director—but didn't really feel fulfilled. I wanted to solve larger problems with my skill set and that's what sparked my interest in UX.

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Why are you a UX/UI designer?

I want to use my skills to solve problems and also make a positive impact on people's lives and create products that make their lives easier and also fulfill a need

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What does a typical day look like for you?

Right now I would have to say A LOT of meetings...and some working time in the early morning hours or after 3 or 4 pm. I try to divvy up my time by doing dedicated project work in the mornings, and more creative or explorational work in the afternoon.

I really love eating lighter for lunch if I can. So, spring rolls are perfect because they are fun to make and eat. I'm a lover of food so I try to make my lunch whenever possible. If I'm short on time, I will usually whip up a quick smoothie.

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I usually inhale my coffee in the morning so I never really have pics but here is a pic of my local coffee shop (Perc) that I frequent too often! 😆

What is your current desk setup?

Currently I still WFH so I have my work computer and a large monitor setup, nothing too special— however, my office is also a mini greenhouse to some plant friends. I personally don't have a green thumb, but my husband does, and I just reap the rewards of his work. 😀

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And your Workstation setup across devices?

I usually try to keep my desktop pretty clean, so I do a clean after work to either throw things in the trash that I don't need or file them away accordingly.

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I also like to keep my apps pretty organized...it's a little compulsive.

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What work are you most proud of?

Right now I think I'm really proud of some of the work we are doing within our team to clean up our design system.

Unfortunately, I can't share what I'm working on now because it's a new feature. But here is a quick look at the Greenlight app interface.

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Which Product recently blew your socks off?

I would say Notion...I don't think I ever saw the full power of using Notion until recently (thanks to the design system bootcamp)!  But I've been using it for work and also personal stuff—recently used it to plan my SIL's baby shower which was awesome. I'm an organizational nerd so I've enjoyed using it!

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What challenges do you face as a UX/UI Designer?

Currently, it's a bit hard to find some focus time. Previously I came from a smaller startup so there wasn't a ton of meetings with plenty of time to get the work done quickly; so, it's been challenging coming into a larger company.

But, as a UX/UI designer, I would say it's challenging to continually try advocating better practices or experiences for the end user—sometimes you have tradeoffs because of project scope, etc.

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What tunes do you listen to whilst designing?

This is my rotating list of songs I listen to while designing, driving, etc. It's a mish-mash of all genres, artists, and low and high tempo beats.

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Three suggestions for budding designers?

1. Dig deeper and ask questions.
2. Don't stop learning ever.
3. Stay organized.