Hey! I'm Robert, a Vancouver-based product designer.
I'm a self-taught product designer who recently graduated from UBC Sauder School of Business. I don't see my non-traditional business background as a negative, rather it allows me to consider the big picture, taking into account business objectives that are just as important as design decisions. Above all else, I am always open to feedback, and I believe we can always learn something from one another!
My hobbiesCareer
Zūm Rails
Nov 2022 - Present
Winterview is a FinTech payments processing startup that serves B2B partners and customers (mortgages, stock brokers, etc.) Zūm Rails provides onboarding, bank account connections, and an analytics dashboard, to customers.
Winterview
Jun 2022 - Present
Winterview is an EdTech startup that sells to B2B customers (universities) but serves B2C (university students). Winterview leverages AI to help universities increase their employment statistics and students achieve their dream careers. Services provided include resume tools, interview preparation, and community discussions.
Dyne Technologies
Mar 2021 - Jun 2022
Dyne is a startup that serves both B2B (restaurants) and B2C (mobile app users) customers. Dyne provides an analytics dashboard to its B2B users that provides actionable insights and real time data. It also has a mobile app that its B2C users can use to schedule reservations at partner restaurants and apply exclusive discounts.
OneCup AI
May 2021 - Sep 2021
OneCup AI is an AI AgTech startup that serves ranchers. Its AI, Betsy, detects signs of illness in cattle and other farm animals with even low resolution cameras. Using key points such as tails and ears, Betsy can assign a unique ID to each of a rancher’s animals without any physical tagging.
My Design Philosophy
Modular Design
I believe we should strive to break down complex flows into bite-sized chunks for our users. Additionally, we should reuse similar design patterns and flows where we can to provide a cohesive and consistent experience to users across our platform.
Every Opinion Matters
Whenever someone has feedback about a design or an alternative idea, I always hear them out and ask them to elaborate. By exploring other people's ideas, we can iterate and potentially create an even better solution. People who are not of a design background can provide new insight and perspective on a solution. I regularly host internal workshops for feedback on features and solutions.
Show and Sell
Whenever showing a new idea that you have to stakeholders, demonstrate the potential business benefit of your idea rather than just showing the design. Tell stakeholders what such a feature would mean to the business, not just its users.
My Story
Coming from a Bachelor of Commerce degree, many of my product design skills were self taught and learned from other people. As a result, I have always believed that whether you are more experienced or less experienced than someone else, you are guaranteed to learn something from each other. This also translates to my attitude towards feedback and working within a team. The best way to describe my attitude is supported opinion that is loosely held. In other words, I'm always open to changing my mind and continuously learning something new.
Of course, I wouldn't have made it this far without the help of all my peers, coworkers, mentors, and friends. I'm also grateful to the companies who gave me a chance with no formal design education, especially when I had no formal design experience. It goes without saying that I'd like to pay it forward, so if you have any questions or need any guidance, leave me a message, and I'll do my best!
Get in touchOf course, I wouldn't have made it this far without the help of all my peers, coworkers, mentors, and friends. I'm also grateful to the companies who gave me a chance with no formal design education, especially when I had no formal design experience. It goes without saying that I'd like to pay it forward, so if you have any questions or need any guidance, leave me a message, and I'll do my best!