Graduate student, illustration, graphic design and user experience

Interviewed by Julie Tran
Portrait by Regina Vera

What inspires your graphic design and UX design work?

​I have worked as an illustrator/mural artist most of my life and I realized I needed structure, something I found very ubiquitous in graphic design. ​Last year, before I registered as a graphic design major, I attended a free intro class for UX design at the general assembly. Learning about the psychology behind it, I instantly fell in love. I found out from my friend who has taken MFA GDVX that we have an awesome course regarding UI UX, and that’s how I decided to jump in full force into UX design. 

What sets user experience design apart from your other work?

In illustration, you sort of go with the flow. Yes, there’s a little research here and there, but you mostly draw your inspiration from what you like. When it comes to user experience, you have to reach out to actual human beings, understand what they need and find that balance between their needs and aesthetics. It’s not as subjective as when you’re doing an illustration and definitely has a more layered process. User experience is definitely outside my comfort zone, but I keep surprising myself how much I enjoy it. 

What does your process usually look like?

I’m still figuring it out, but usually, I put 50-60 percent of my time into research by doing a questionnaire or conducting secondary research. From this, I will draw a conclusion of the features I want to put in my work. My favorite part is when I have to start sketching and creating the wireframe. To me, this is probably where I put most of my time because I want to make sure that when it gets to the actual designing, I will have a strong enough foundation.

What do you think people often misunderstand about your major?

​Where I come from, Indonesia, a lot of people think that graphic design is only about making marketing material such as posters, packaging and logos. When I came to America, I realized it is so much more than that. If I took a graphic design major back home, I wouldn’t study how to make a design or a website, let alone user experience. 

What project are you currently working on and what are your goals for it?

​I’m currently working on refining my portfolio including my latest UX project about an astrology-based dating app called Juno. It is by far my favorite project and I had a lot of fun doing the research: from conducting questionnaires to actually reading books about astrology. My goal is to work with a developer to make it into an actual app as this is my passion project.