Beyond the Pixels
The product team at 1stdibs is a mix of designers, user researchers and product managers. While we spend most of our working hours strategizing platform improvements, we also value learning things outside of our day-to-day jobs. Each month, the design team allots time for a learning activity, which can be anything from attending a local museum to having a team member teach us something interesting.
Learning about 1stdibs creators
We never pass on an opportunity to learn more about 1stdibs creators. Last year, a group of us went to a Louis Vuitton exhibit called “Volez, Voguez, Voyagez.” We learned about the designer’s history, modern collaborations (like with Supreme) and the fashion house’s influence and evolution into the iconic brand it is today.
1stdibs is home to over 1,000 Louis Vuitton pieces. Hearing the rich backstory behind these unique items, especially the iconic trunks, was fascinating. At the exhibit, I learned that trunks were an early staple for the brand that were more than just storage units for a traveler’s personal belongings. Trunks—the first items to don the LV monogram—were highly personal and intricate pieces.
As a product designer, I get to help conceptualize the interfaces that connect 1stdibs buyers with historical and meaningful Louis Vuitton trunks.
Although my day-to-day job involves moving pixels around with my mouse, learning from experiences like this bridge the gap between the digital and physical world of design— something hard to achieve in present day.
Every piece listed on 1stdibs has a compelling story. This exhibit illuminated these stories and was a testament to the craftsmanship of 1stdibs creators.
Learning about other niches of design
In March, the team went to the Cooper Hewitt design museum, where we saw late 19th-century Japanese pieces, sketched our own virtual wallpaper designs in the Immersion Room and learned about the intersection of design and sound in the Process Lab.
As someone who studied industrial design in college, has dabbled in graphic design since I was a kid and practice product design at work, I’ve realized that design is very interconnected by key themes like technology, accessibility and experimentation in different mediums.
One of the highlights from our visit was the “Access+Accessibility” exhibit. Seeing innovative design work on prosthetic legs and hearing aids inspired me to be more conscious of how we can make the digital 1stdibs experience more accessible for our buyers and sellers.
Learning from each other
While we enjoy attending exhibits outside the office, we also like to tap into our best resource — our fellow team members.
In December, one of our product managers, Amy, held a mixology class. We learned how to navigate a cocktail menu properly, how to craft cocktails and the meaning of the statement “shaken, not stirred.”
We decided to continue with the theme of beverage preparation in February, when I gave a presentation about matcha tea.
In college, I took a class called “Chado,” which is Japanese for “The Way of Tea.” Since then, I’ve been spreading the word about how underrated matcha is, so I was excited to teach the team about it.
I covered the history of matcha and its health benefits, and members of the product team got a chance to whisk their own bowls.
At 1stdibs, learning things outside of our job description fosters a unique and beneficial creative environment. These monthly activities have reminded me that being a designer is not only about optimizing the 1stdibs user experience, but being inquisitive, seeing beyond the pixels and constantly growing through diverse learning.
Does your team take a similar approach to learning? If so, we’d love to hear about it.
