How I discovered design

Cartoons, software, and the multitude of influences that brought design into my life.

Design, InspirationSophia LiuJanuary 13, 2024design, designer, product design, product designer, inspirationComment

Thoughts on design, 2023 edition

Learning about new tools, meeting colleagues IRL, and spamming downtown San Francisco with thousands of lime green tote bags at the biggest, buzziest design conference in tech.

How I got my FAANG design job

When I was starting out, tech jobs were so mysterious. Unless you hit up a career fair in college and worked an internship in Big Tech (both of which I missed because my career journey had its fair share of twists and turns), I had zero idea how people did it.

Tech, DesignSophia LiuNovember 1, 2022career, facebook, meta, work, job, designer, product designer, product designComment

What I learned in 4 years as a product designer

About 4 years ago, I started my first job as a product designer at thredUP. Here are some things I’ve learned during my time there.

Design, TechSophia LiuApril 26, 2022design, product design, career, product designer, thredup, designer, ux designer, learning, workComment

How Hackathons Taught Me Product Design

I owe my career to hackathons. For a new designer, they’re the perfect opportunity to learn, work with a team of people from different backgrounds, and use your design prowess to lead and present.

Tech, DesignSophia LiuMarch 25, 2021hackathon, hackathons, career, learning, product design, product designer, designerComment

How Side Hustles Make Me a Better Designer

They enrich my perspectives, expose me to diversity and new opinions, and allow me to look at life and the human experience in new fascinating ways.

Personal, Inspiration, DesignSophia LiuDecember 23, 2020career, creative career, designer, product designer, side hustle, hobbies, me, personal, inspirationComment

How I became a designer in 8 months

I had to teach myself things again. So I hacked together a bootcamp.