Diana Hernandez Cabezas

I think being flexible and always adapting to change has been key to my success. If there's a new tool, I explore that new tool. If there's a new user problem, I go deep into what's actually happening to those users. I'm always opting to adapt to whatever changes are happening, either in the industry or in the work. I don't get stuck on rigid processes. Instead of thinking 'I need to do this process ABC,' I look at it more like, okay, what parts of the process can help me for this particular problem? That flexibility and willingness to adapt rather than stick to a fixed way of doing things has really helped me succeed.

The best career advice I ever received was to not fight all the battles. I think in the beginning, I would see a problem that needed solving in the company, and I would go for it and try to win it and solve it. But then one of my managers told me, you might be needed in every single battle, and you're going to exhaust yourself. Instead, pick the ones where you can add more value and fight those harder. I remember that advice so many times when I'm about to jump into something. I ask myself, hmm, am I going to add value here or not? That's really helped me focus my energy where it matters most.

It's hard right now with all the AI and everything. I was recently chatting with a girl who wants to start in product design, and I told her to make things and use these new tools to her advantage. Create a product that someone needs and launch that, and go through the experience of doing that herself. Because then she's going to learn the skills that she's going to need at work. I think a lot of experimentation and lots of trying things on her own is really important. Don't just learn theory, actually build something and put it out there. That hands-on experience of creating and launching will teach you what you really need to know.

I think the biggest challenge and opportunity is the velocity at which our jobs are changing. When I was designing at the beginning of the year, I was designing in a different way than I've been designing these last years. We have way more tools now that make our lives easier and also make us more effective. So it's the good and the bad. In the sense that we're going to have to learn new things, but at the same time, my hope is that it will make us more effective in the outcomes and the loop reviews. The pace of change is intense, but if we embrace these new tools, they can really help us work better and faster.

I really value integrity in the work. When you decide to do something, you carry on with that and stay with that integrity throughout the project. That's really important to me. I also always enjoy working with smart people and people who are passionate about their jobs. Anything like that adds energy to me. Being around people who are intelligent and genuinely care about what they do gives me motivation and keeps me energized in my work.