Houzzer Profile: Andrew Lee, Designer
As a product designer at Houzz, Andrew's responsibilities span everything from creating custom illustrations to designing the user experience for new features. Outside of work, you can likely find Andrew on the basketball court. How did you get into design? I've been interested in art and design for as long as I can remember, but I didn't think about it seriously as a career path until high school. I originally thought about going into architecture – when you have strict parents, and you're interested in design, architecture is often an acceptable middle ground. But when I got to college and began to learn more about the field, the quick turnaround in graphic design projects seemed like a better fit for me than the often longer term projects in architecture. So I decided to pursue graphic design instead. While I was at school I had an internship that gave me the opportunity to work on a couple of mobile apps. I realized that there's much more to mobile design than how things look – it's also about how people use the app. That's what inspired me to get into this field. Where do you get your inspiration? I find inspiration by observing people, and how different people use things differently. I like to visit sites like Designer News, where a lot of designers in the tech industry share articles and other resources. It's a great way to learn about the “latest and greatest” news and tips for working more efficiently. My girlfriend is also a designer, and we chat about design quite often. We critique each other's work sometimes, and we're pretty ruthless about it. We really appreciate each other's honesty – we know it's not personal. If something's terrible, we'll tell each other!
What's something that has surprised you about working at Houzz? Everyone has a voice here. If you make a compelling case, you can make a difference. We're also allowed to be creative in a way that you're not often able to be at other companies. When I'm given a project, I'm not always given all of the specific requirements – it's often up to me to explore different ways to achieve our goals. This really facilitates innovation. What's your favorite thing you've worked on at Houzz? I'm currently in the process of working on redesigning a section of the site that I think will make a lot of people happy. It's a project that involves a lot of complex problem solving, and gives me the opportunity to experience working on aspects of design that I've been interested in since I got into this field. How do you use Houzz? Houzz was my go-to resource for inspiration and advice during my recent kitchen and bathroom renovation. I have a tiny kitchen, which takes careful planning to make use of the little space there is. The wealth of knowledge from the Stories and Advice sections on Houzz really helped me achieve that – my cabinet vendor was surprised when I requested pull-out pantries and trash cans! What's the style of your home? It's a mix between eclectic and midcentury. I like my home to feel warm and homey. My walls are all white but with a tint of yellow, for example. I just searched for photos of “warm white” spaces on Houzz and drew inspiration from there. What should a design candidate know about working at Houzz? At Houzz, you're not restricted to being just a designer. You often get to wear different hats, and don't work in silos – it's good to have relationships with people from various teams throughout Houzz who can help you achieve those different tasks. Everyone at Houzz is awesome about helping each other. What do you like to do when you're not working? Basketball – I play with other Houzzers, and also on a recreational league. I think it helps with work, too – it's a good reminder to stay competitive, not with my colleagues, but within the industry. Basketball reminds me not to be complacent – it gets me fired up.