It has been crucial to be really close to the community of people using the product I am designing

Tell me something that’s true, that almost nobody agrees with you?

University education won’t teach you almost anything useful for your career.

How did you get interested in web3 and what you are currently working on?

In 2018 I Co-founded a Design Studio with my friend Andrei, we were approached by a crypto company to design their platform and after that project, I realized that the crypto space needed good design as the primary force that will allow people to understand the value of these products and use them with ease.

What are the best decisions and the worst decisions you have made in this industry?

The best decision I made was going back to Web3 after one year of working for a big Fintech Bank.

"Worst decisions" does not exist in my vocabulary, I rebranded that term to "Opportunity decisions" and regarding those, I would say probably knowing about the great potential of crypto since 2017 but not really buying my first ETH until late 2018.

What soft & hard skills have been most helpful in helping you succeed in web3?

I think that being able to succeed in web3 is not much different from succeeding in any other job but in my case It has been crucial to be really close to the community of people using the product I am designing for and have great communication with my team of engineers. DeFi products are very different from traditional finance ones, from the way people interact with them to the way they are built, so it becomes crucial to fully understand the needs of the people I am designing for and the fundamentals of the smart contracts my team mates built.

What’s the best thing about your job? The most challenging?

The fact that I will remain a learner the rest of my career. This space is evolving so fast that one needs to be constantly learning and challenging themselves.

How can blockchain support web3 Designers?

I think that the surge of DAO´s plays a big role in elevating the work of Web3 designers. A great example is what Vector DAO is doing: a Collective of designers that help early stage crypto projects with Design, Branding and Marketing in exchange they receive tokens or equity. Designers also have the opportunity to invest back on different crypto projects.

What separates someone who is adequate at Web3 Design from someone who is exceptional at Web3 Design?

Any Product Designer that comes from Web2 can be a good designer in Web3. But a great designer in Web3 will be someone that is an actual user of as many Web3 products as possible, someone who is close to the community of users that are using their product and finally, a designer that understands their product also from a smart contract level.

What is your favorite web3 Project? Among the people you’ve worked/interacted with in web3, who do you admire most and why?

I might be biased, but I will say Vesper Finance - this project is being built by one of the kindest, humblest, talented and dedicated people I know.

I will also mention working with @JacobShiach from Union Finance was one of the most challenging and rewarding projects I have worked on at a personal and professional level.

Favorite web3 thinker on social media?

@mikedemarais @stani.eth @ASvanevik @jgarzik @licuende @jespow

What is your vision for your niche? What do you expect to come in the next few years? What developments in the field do you find to be the most exciting?

The most exciting thing right now is that Web3 products are currently transitioning from being "Crypto bro" focused - meaning that products put the technology upfront to attract crypto early adopters who are very tech-savvy. And right now we are going towards a new era of mass adoption where Web3 products need to address primary the needs of the "Normie" - people that came later to the crypto party, but still want to get all the benefits from it without spending hours googling how to use their Metamask wallet

Any tips for beginners who aspire to work in this domain, but feel completely overwhelmed to even start competing?

For any designer that wants to embark on the Web3 journey, I would tell them to not feel intimidated by this space. They have the power to democratize crypto products through good design and finally make their Mum set up her crypto wallet.