Interview: Tanya Merone

Personal website: http://tanyamerone.com/

For start of this interview - can you tell us more about yourself - career, life, news, other stuff?…

I live in New York since the mid 90’s, and currently work as a user interface consultant for a consulting firm in Manhattan. My job sends me all over the tri-state area for all kinds of projects big and small, with clients including New York Stock Exchange, IEEE, and Teach For America.

When did you start designing, and what was the main reason for that?

My love affair with graphic design began in high school. I remember using MS Paint, then graduating to Photoshop, diving into HTML, CSS, and Flash, and never looking back. I did it for fun and loved it. Currently, I’m growing into more of a user-experience position, acting as a bridge between users and developers.

What is the most interesting thing that you work on, in this moment?

I am in the middle of a very large and dynamic project. The client is a non-profit national organization involved in creating an online portal for its members. What makes this project so challenging is striving for the usability standards set by Google, Netflix, and Facebook - as if they came together to create this portal.

Which part of your career or project would you call “the best of me”?

It’s definitely the current project that I’m working on. I’m growing a lot, both personally and professionally, by taking on new and unfamiliar roles. And while I have been on some fast-paced projects, the pace of this one sets a new standard in my book.

What do you think about women in web design in general?

I’ve had the unusual experience of working with more women than men designers, although I have worked with both equally well. There are various reasons speculated for the gender gap in the industry, and you can read more about my take on the topic here. But I don’t think gender stands in the way of good design – it’s all based on vision, abilities, and passion for what you do.

When did you launched your website/blog and what is the most important thing that you accomplished with it?

I launched my portfolio in December 2006, and the thing that makes me happiest is the number of emails I get in which people tell me how they find inspirations in my design, and how useful they find my collection of favorite websites.

What are your daily reads and favorite bookmarks?

Most of these are collected on my website, tanyamerone.com - drop by, take a peek!

What are the most interesting things that your readers and visitors don’t know about you?

I did not extensively study Graphic Design in school – I’m a self-taught designer. I actually majored in the Computer Science field :)

What is your main inspiration?

The great outdoors.

Who is your favorite artist?

I am not sure if I could single out one artist whose work I enjoy more than others, but that title would probably go to Salvador Dali for his surreal style and the melting clocks.

Is there anything that you don’t like about your job?

My job is a desk job, and I would rather not sit for long periods of time. If only I could hike and design at the same time ;)

Can you tell us something about your hobbies and things that you do in you spare time?

Spare time is a luxury for me. :) Whatever spare time I have, I spend with my family and friends. I also love jogging, traveling, and taking photos.

What kind of music do you prefer?

I have been listening to a lot of different things, but really enjoy dance music while jogging.

What is your favorite travel destination?

I love Hawaii – it’s both peaceful and cultural, it has beaches, hiking and beautiful landscapes. Too bad it’s a ten hour flight from New York.

Do you have any message for people at the beginning of their career in designing?

You have to love what you do (which by the way also applies to any other career). Without passion, it’s harder to find your way to be great at it. There are a lot of setbacks, such as lack of inspiration, lack of time, late hours and deadlines, but if you truly love what you do, it’s easier to focus and have fun while you’re at it.

What do you think about cssprincess.com?

It’s not just any other CSS showcase. It’s great that it targets female designers and promotes the female community online. Besides, it’s very cute!