This is part one of a three part series: Lessons from my first year as a Product Designer
Right before I joined Supahands back in early 2020, my Design Lead Bekah reached out to me to have a coffee. She asked me questions about my interests, and listened intently as I described the crazy shenanigans my friends and I get up to when we play Dungeons and Dragons.
At one point, I casually said "...but yeah, I guess I'll need to play less once I start working". I was taken aback when Bekah immediately insisted "No, you should continue enjoying your hobbies. In fact, I'll personally kick you out of the office at the end of the workday so you can go play D&D".
Fast forward to now - Bekah's kept her word. I've never felt obligated to stick around in the office just because my teammates were still there. My team leads* have really fostered an environment where we communicate and trust each other to get things done. I have the space to learn new things and make mistakes at work; but my hobbies are not pushed to the side. In fact, I believe that playing D&D regularly has helped me grow as a designer and a storyteller.
Ever since we transitioned to working remotely, Bekah can no longer physically eject me from the office (she has done so in the past!). However, every time I'm tempted to spend an extra hour to get more work done, I think to myself "What would Bekah say?".
The answer is "Get rest, work on it in the morning when you're mentally fresh. When we design, create and build from a place of rest, there is a tangible difference."
*Sorry Isaac I'll talk about you in another article 😬