Everyone plays a special role here at Ekohe, and this month we want to feature Meganne, our Design Director in Vancouver. Read on for some design tips and resources.
What do you do at Ekohe?
Design, management, and operations — with a lot of random parts in between! On a given day I might be building information architecture, mentoring a junior designer, developing a brand concept with clients, or designing an interface. These days I’m also strategizing design processes with the team to further improve our quality, creativity, and efficiency. I think one of the cool things at Ekohe is that the roles and responsibilities are as fluid as you are, so there’s always an interesting challenge to tackle.
What tools help you in your role as a creative professional?
These days I find myself using Sketch for everything: from wireframing to logo design to UI. It’s such a powerful, simple tool. I also use Invision to communicate the work with clients. It’s an amazing way to give them access to prototypes, allowing for full immersion of the design process and an understanding of how the wireframes relate to each other.
From where do you get your creative inspiration?
Inspiration could come from anything and everything, but I find it helps to actively pursue it rather than passively wait for that “lightning strike.” I generally try to set aside a small portion of time each day to study design. For projects, we rely on a process to help flesh out and explore ideas in a structured way. I have an in-depth conversation with the client and create mood boards to outline the design direction. This way, we can communicate and create something as close to the client’s vision as possible.
What kind of projects do you enjoy working on the most?
That’s a tough one! I enjoy all kinds, they’re all unique, but of course I find it very rewarding to build something from the ground up with the client. Sometimes we also work on design overhauls, and it makes for really rich conversations and rigorous design exploration processes. Being able to uncover ideas, goals, and limitations and then solidify them into something visual and concrete is extremely satisfying.
Ekohe recently opened its Vancouver branch. What’s it like managing this new office and what are some exciting things to come? Our new Vancouver office is very small! So far it’s just Ben (our senior developer) and me, but we are definitely looking to expand! We are located in a co-working space, The Network Hub, where everyone is super friendly.
Do you have any tips for new designers?
Design continually evolves as technology, people, and our understanding of both evolve. For someone starting out, I would say don’t be afraid to make mistakes and try many different things out. It’s a huge field. Attending meetup groups, connecting online, and finding mentors can go a long way. A good attitude and willingness to learn are also fundamental to growth.
I also learned that design is a lot about what works, not what simply looks good. UX is like driving: nobody likes too many intersections or looking at signs that are hard to read. Try to keep the user’s path as short and as simple as possible.
You forgot one very important team member: your adorable puppy, Pekoe! How does he help out at Ekohe?
Oops! Pekoe is hilarious! At our co-working space, people stop by to say hi to him and Pekoe absolutely loves it. It’s really relaxing and fun to go to work and see dogs in the office, though sometimes Pekoe gets impatient (he’s still young). He is definitely a morale booster who also keeps me in check — I’ve had bad habits before where I could slip into a 12 hour work day without realizing it, and having him around really adds more balance to my life.
