I am Shanley Suganda and here is a quick snapshot of me.
- What people call me and what I do
UX/UI Designer // UX Researcher // Product Designer // Growth Designer // Web Graphic Designer - Where I have worked
Sears Holdings, Academy of Art University, Macy´s Inc, Liz Claiborne, C&A
San Franciso // New York // Brussels (Belgium) - How I formalized my skills
UX/UI Design & Front-End Development, Bloc, Inc. 2017 - 2019
B.F.A. Fashion/ Graphic Design, Academy of Art University 1997 - 2001 - Which tools I use for end-to-end design
Adobe XD, AE, Illustrator, Photoshop, Sketch, Figma, Flinto, InVision, Github, HTML, CSS, Javascript, jquery (open to others)
On a Professional Note
My expertise spans the spectrum of UX, UI, Product and Growth design. Given my background in graphic design, and my level of responsibility – including working as an instructor, management positions, and owning a company – I have the experience and ability to look at design problems from many angles.
Design has played a critical role in helping me to define myself and enabling me to become a catalyst to improving people's lives. I say this because design makes life struggles easier to navigate and it reduces friction in creative and often beautiful ways. When I identify obstacles in the built environment, my approach is to step back, reflect, and then identify strategic methods to make it better. I have learned that even one minor adjustment can sometimes make a huge difference to someone’s quality of life.
My enduring passion is to help people, to advance my understanding of technology, and to design captivating art. Ultimately, I am driven by creating designs that will improve people’s lives and make them happier.
I am keen to design things that are personally meaningful and that align with my values, particularly in education, technology, travel, food, sports, and ocean preservation.
I am available for freelance work.
see resumeOn a more Personal Note
In addition to my design skills, I have many hobbies that are creative outlets and sources of inspiration in my work.
Teaching:
I am currently teaching online programs at the Academy of Art University in fashion design and color theory. Through teaching others, I am improving my knowledge in the latest design trends, coaching, mentoring, and providing students with constructive feedback, and problem-solving.
Scuba diving:
I am a certified rescue scuba diver. I have experienced the incredible underwater world across the globe. Diving is a form of meditation for me – from the peaceful breathing to vibrant coral and fish. I also collect garbage to help preserve our beautiful oceans.
Olympic Weightlifting:
I am a master Olympic weightlifter and I sometimes compete. I train for approximately 10 hours each week with a national coach in Oakland. This journey taught me how to be strong, focused, and consistent. When I fail, I learn and try to fix the issue the next time.
Travel (learning new cultures and languages):
My goal is to travel everywhere. So far, I’ve visited 69 countries and speak 5 languages. In particular, I want to spend more time exploring Uganda, Ethiopia, and Tanzania. While traveling, I am always curious about the food, culture, and letting the experience take me to mystical unknown places. From this, I have learned to be humble and grateful for what I have.
I also get a lot of joy out of practicing Reiki and walking in the park with my puppy, Cooper (who is a Frenchie).
