Meet Gabriella Lasala

How did you learn about PDXWIT and what keeps you coming back? 

I learned about PDXWIT when I began looking for local resources to transition into the UX field in 2018. I wanted to network & meet more people so I could get a better sense of how people transitioned from other professions & found it to be a very helpful resource. I have met a few folks over the last two years that have been very supportive in my transition into the tech field. I was a part of the mentee program that really helped push me to jumpstart my new career (Thanks Jen!). I also had the opportunity to be a recipient of the PDXWIT #InvestInYou Scholarship that allowed me to attend ConveyUX Conference in Seattle, WA right before COVID locked our region down. 

I continue to stay involved with PDXWIT because it has proven to be an invaluable resource with all of the events & networking opportunities it has provided me over the years. I feel very fortunate to belong to a network of folks who are committed to lifting each other as they help bring underrepresented folks into tech spaces. 

Can you give us some background on your career in tech? Did you intend this career path? 

I did not begin with a traditional career in tech. I have earned two degrees: one in Theology & the other in Marketing, and my career background has been as a live audio engineer for concerts and conferences & a multimedia journalist. I began feeling a bit burnt out and feeling the physical toll of pushing 200lb cases every night when I decided I would try to find a different path. I started inquiring with friends that have been working in some form of creative spaces and they all seem to have ended up in UX or UX-adjacent spaces. I was fascinated by the fact that so many of my friends that did not know each other ended up in a similar space and decided to start looking into it. I started with online classes and then took a course through Interaction Design Foundation.

Unfortunately, there isn’t really a space in Portland that helps people transition careers into UX, so I started looking elsewhere and chose Prime Digital Academy in Minneapolis, MN to further my experience. It’s an immersive program that connects real clients with student teams in order to enhance our practice & help prepare us through our transition.  I like that I am learning more than just making mockups or wireframes. Some of the most invaluable experiences thus far have been implementing user research methodology in all my design projects, measuring the impact of our designs, having weekly public speaking practice, and learning to pitch my design concepts to clients. 

Why do you like doing what you do?

My background lends itself to practicing UX. I have been studying people, navigating client relationships and trying to meet their project goals for as long as I can remember. I enjoyed creating amazing live experiences, and I am excited to create service and digital experiences that people can enjoy using. The same principles that people use in UX are used in multitudes of other spaces — they just have different terminology. At the end of the day, it is truly rewarding to see the satisfaction on your client's face when their users or customers are well-served.

Is there anything that keeps you up at night?

So many things keep me up at night at the moment. This pandemic has not made that any easier. I am particularly worried about the lack of ethics in tech spaces and how I will be navigating that, ith Facebook being a big example of what happens when a business has too much power and no oversight. It worries me to see companies that have very poorly implemented values dominate tech spaces. So many resources are spent on getting clicks, and the world is burning. I am hoping to be able to find like-minded people in the tech space to talk more about these conversations and what this looks like for all of us.

Anything else you'd like to share with us?

The book Pedagogy of the Oppressed by Paulo Freire has been an invaluable book to read while transitioning into the tech field. My next read will be Designs for the Pluriverse by Arturo Escobar. 

If there is anyone from PDXWiT that would like to connect with me, please do!