We’re proud to introduce one of our West Coast UXers Joanna Catanus.
She's our latest Slider to be featured in our Meet-a-Slider series. Joanna talks about growing as a UX designer, how to propel a project forward, and the tools she could not live without as a UXer.
Name: Joanna Catanus
Title: UX Design Coordinator
Start Date: September 2022
What drew you to this field?
UX is fun, challenging, and allows me to exercise creative thinking everyday. I love listening to others, learning new things, and creating impactful solutions to problems with each new project.
What one piece of advice would you want to give to aspiring UX designers?
Keep taking small steps toward your goal. When you notice something interesting you’d like to learn or gaps in your skills, take a moment to practice and learn. These small steps can have a big impact on your growth as a designer.
What's the biggest challenge we face as an industry?
Making the case for taking the time to do research with users before rushing into design. In such a fast-paced industry, it’s our job to look deeply into user needs and uncover ways to make products work better for them.
What's new in the industry that's catching your eye?
AR and VR open up a lot of new opportunities to explore.
Working at Slide UX
What are the most challenging parts of your job?
The most challenging part of my job is learning the ins-and-outs of new and sometimes complicated products, but I’m always up for a challenge!
What is the biggest lesson you have learned in your job, and how did you learn it?
I’ve learned to be concise and efficient, asking good questions that help propel a project forward. I’ve learned this with practice as I’ve worked with different people on different teams. Saving time while being thorough and delivering quality work is always appreciated.
What makes Slide UX different?
Slide UX is a group of people that truly care about their work and each other. Each Slider is committed to excellence and my team inspires me to bring my best everyday.
Describe the ideal client or project?
The ideal client is someone who is collaborative and open to learning from their users’ experiences. We have some really great clients here at Slide.
What's the most powerful part of our design process?
Every part of our design process is important, but I most enjoy translating research into design decisions and working with others to solve a problem.
What's your typical day look like?
I check my calendar, email, and messages then take a few minutes to write down what I need to get done. I make sure I’m prepared for any meetings I’ll have that day and use larger blocks of time to design, do research activities, and whatever the needs are for that day. Even though we are all remote, our team does a good job staying connected and it’s fun interacting with them on Slack throughout the day.
What tools do you use for your job that you could not live without?
Large monitors, at least 2 of them.
How do you stay inspired and creative?
I like to take some time to unplug and be creative offline. I love playing piano, trying new recipes, and drawing with my kids—they are born creatives.
Lightning Round
Do you have any hidden talents?
I am pretty okay at several musical instruments but I usually prefer to play when no one is listening. So yes, it is a truly hidden talent.
Cat or Dog?
Dogs. My last dog Ginger was a pit mix and she was the sweetest. Also, I’m allergic to cats.
BBQ: sauce or no sauce
I love a good sauce.
Hot Dog Toppings
Chicago dog all the way.
Favorite coffee shop
Mostra Coffee here in San Diego is a great local shop that I’ve been following since they were just a tasting room. They roast their beans in house, are active in the community, and serve up fresh takes on Filipino dessert flavors in their lattes.
How do you like your coffee?
Hot with a splash of half and half. I also like a good oat milk latte every now and then.
Who on the team would you want to be stuck on an island with and why?
I don’t know! I guess I’d have to find out who has the best survival skills. They would all be good company though, for sure.