Meet Patricia Gil | Art Director & UX/UI Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Patricia Gil and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Patricia, what role has risk played in your life or career?
I think risk-taking is present at different levels of our lives. When I think about it, I see it in the moments when I evaluate where I am, and what kind of direction I want to take. It usually starts by identifying an area of discomfort or a comfort zone I want to address. If I let my intuition and experience take the lead, the best ideals scenarios will pop in my mind. I like to see risk-taking as the opportunity to evolve, give the space to new perspectives, and think outside the box. Let me share an example about this, a few years ago, I started noticing as a designer and as a resident of Miami-Dade County, a hunger for branding and digital solutions. Through the years, I’ve been observing that local businesses truly make an effort to develop a brand experience, besides just selling a product or service. However, as a consumer/citizen/user, I’ve been in situations wanting to find an app that can support me on ‘x’ or ‘y’ scenario, feeling incredibly frustrated, and here is where my risk-taking comes to life. I started evaluating how can I – as a designer – evolve or even transform all of my experience into another level of design solutions, and that was the moment I decided to become a UX/UI designer. And you may think, but you are already a designer, but not… this is another level of design, this is Human Center design, this is not branding, and I didn’t even have a clue at the beginning, beautifully naive. I am in a moment where I am shifting my career within the same creative branch, but deepening my awareness towards the impact a design can have, and this translate from brand identity into user experiences.
This concept thrills me because I think about the endless opportunities and possibilities for our community, and I genuinely want to part of it. And that is my latest risk-taking pick moment.

Let’s talk shop? Tell us more about your career, what can you share with our community?
The journey has been long and definitely full of lessons. Designing is an evolving creature, it changes with the needs to whom you are design for, and why. Design thinking is not linear, and that reality keeps the challenge alive and exciting, is never mechanical, it’s an organic process. I’ve been lucky enough to experience design for different industries, and it’s been fascinating, each industry have lead me to great teachings and insights. The main thing I want to be known about is purpose. I see the emotional connection and the impact design has in people’s life, I always do my best to honor that fact.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
Without a doubt, the beach! And keep it very local. One day for paddle boarding, and another one for skating at any of the beach’s boardwalk.
Also Miami skyline from different views, The Standard is one of my favorites spots for sunsets and overall to have a nice afternoon experience. For eating and drinking, so many options… Art and museum vibe, the PAMM and Wynwood – with gentrification profile story included and beer brewers stops.
And of course, a little road trip to the everglades and homestead for strawberry picking.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Absolutely! Thanks for asking me such a relevant question.

Talking about risk taking, when it comes to education, I would like to knowledge that I feel extremely grateful to be part and supported by the ecosystem developed by BrainStation – former Wyncode Academy, not only by giving me the full grant, but also because their education program goes beyond and above of what I ever could imagine.

When it comes to mentoring, without hesitations, I want to knowledge the support and teaching on creating values in our society thorough the wisdom of Buddhist teachings, a shout out to all the members of the SGI that believe that world peace starts at home by actively developing our human revolution.

When it comes to book, the list is quite long, but a jewel that I think all woman should have at their night table is “Women Who Run With the Wolves” by Clarissa Pinkola Estes. I could go for hours talking about the deep impact this book will have in women and the importance on understanding the different archetypes though out our history and society.

Website: www.patriciagil.com

Instagram: @thegrafistas

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pattigil/

Other: clubhouse @pattigil

Image Credits:
Roxy Azuaje