Reema Gadiyar

I feel like I'm just enjoying the journey of what I can do as a designer, exploring new things out there, really solving a business problem or something user-based. I feel just the problem-solving aspect - if I know that I've solved a problem for a few people, I think that's something that I see as success. It's not about perfection or reaching some final destination, but about the continuous exploration and the satisfaction of knowing that my work has made a tangible difference for users or businesses.

This is maybe a common advice, but I really like the line of getting out of your comfort zone and really exploring what you are able to do, what you can achieve for yourself. I feel like just the part of getting out of your comfort zone feels so bad in the moment, but I also know it's gonna get the best version out of me. It's uncomfortable and challenging, but I recognize that pushing past that discomfort is what helps me grow and become the best version of myself professionally.

I am still getting there - I'm going to turn 25 - but if I had some advice, it would just be to try out new tools and not try to be perfect at it. I am a perfectionist, and sometimes it gets in the way of me creating things. So I feel like don't let perfectionism or trying to be perfect get in the way. Just explore, be messy, and try to create more. Don't let the pursuit of perfection stop you from experimenting and producing work. The key is to keep creating and learning rather than getting stuck trying to make everything perfect.

I can really point that AI is something that's really in the field right now. As designers, it's really important to know what tools are out there, how you can use AI, but I feel like it's also about knowing how to use it and where to use it very intentionally. Also, knowing how it can really help your craft. So just exploring AI tools and the integration of AI in your process - I feel like that's something we're all trying to do as designers currently. I think the challenge that I want to say is there's an overwhelming amount of information and it gets very overwhelming with the new tools that are coming out every single day. But trying to keep up with them and trying to explore - I feel like that's something that I've been doing.

I feel like in my work, a lot goes around empathy - empathy around users, really understanding their pain points and the business needs. So I feel like empathy and learning is something that I really value at work. And in my personal life, I guess my values are really about building relationships - genuine relationships, be it professional or personal. It's about creating authentic connections with people in all aspects of my life.