Yasmin Pessoa

Hi there, Yasmin! Could you briefly introduce yourself and tell us what you do?

Howdy! I’m currently a Design Engineer at Vercel, where I design, illustrate, and build web interfaces. In my free time, I also make digital 3D art. I’m a bit of a design generalist, though I tend to enjoy designing the most when it involves the internet.

How did your journey to becoming a designer begin?

When I was seven, I'd go on this website Neopets, where you could adopt these alien-like virtual pets. I came across their HTML/CSS tutorial, where you could design and build webpages for each of your pets. It immediately scratched an itch in my brain I didn't know I had.

What do you enjoy most about working as a designer?

I love problem-solving. Specifically, that moment when you’ve been iterating towards a solution, and you suddenly get an idea that just clicks. Those little eureka moments are so exciting. It’s like when you finally crack open a piñata.

What do you hate the most about it?

Since I have to think about design so often, I’m always noticing bad design when I come across it. I’ll just be walking outside with my friends and I’ll notice a house that features some questionable design decision, and it’ll drive me crazy for a bit.

Could you share a tip with other designers?

Be focused, but never too focused — keep your inspirations varied and experiment with new media and disciplines.