How did you get into climate?

I grew up in Houston, TX — the oil capital of the US — and the global energy crisis had a very large presence in my early childhood. After starting my career in design, I was lucky enough to be a part of a couple research projects that combined interface design with energy conservation and ultimately decided to find more ways to combine what I’m good at with the problems I’m interested in.

How did you get started in product design?

I studied Computer Science in school, and had no idea what “product design” was. During my freshman year of college, I took on a design role in a seed-stage startup and learned some basic design skills on-the-job. From there, I decided to self-teach through what I call “excessive Googling”, and owe a lot of my early growth from there through talented people I met during my first few roles.

I’m new to design. How do I get good at it?

Practice, practice, practice. Early-career design is about getting your reps in: develop a good eye for what looks & feels good, and a sharp instinct for how to approach problem-solving.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

Check in with yourself often on (1) where you’re doing well and (2) what you need to improve on. Developing that self-awareness early will help guide your career. It will teach you what existing strengths you want to polish and what weaknesses you can improve on with the help of inspirational peers, or opportunities for self-learning, or a great manager.