Some Parting Thoughts by Patrick Pentz on January 08, 2021
2 Min Read
It’s always a bittersweet moment when a Liferay Designer decides to move on to a new opportunity. PJ is no exception. We’ve watched PJ grow from a young starling to a seasoned designer with a promising trajectory. Before we say goodbye to our colleague and friend, we offered PJ the chance to leave a few parting remarks about his journey. Join me in taking a moment to hear a little bit about PJ’s path and some final bits of wisdom.
When did you start?
August, 2017
What was your role?
Started: Associate UX Designer
Ended: Product Designer
What were your main projects?
- DXP Search Results Ranking
- DXP Publications 7.3
- Liferay Enterprise Search Blueprints
- Partner Portal
- Provisioning Revamp
- Help Center
What do you consider your greatest achievement?
Working with the Support team to revamp Liferay's Help Center and Customer Portal. Our efforts helped increase the use of self-service solutions and decreased customer tickets by 4X.
What was the most challenging part of your tenure as a Liferay Product Designer?
Learning to balance users' needs with business needs. When I first started designing, my goal was to design the best solution for users. Over time, I've learned to design a solution that puts the user at the center of decisions and considers product context and business value.
What was your favorite moment(s)?
I really enjoyed all the moments I shared with my teammates outside of our work. As much as I love designing, the bonding moments are the ones that stand out. I loved hanging out in the game room, going out to eat for lunch, celebrating special occasions, contributing to a good cause, and getting together for department collaboration weeks. I gained a lot of amazing memories and got to know a lot of great people.
What can I do better to help the team and improve the situation?
What was the most important lesson you learned?
Learning always to look inward to resolve problems. Every new project will bring new challenges, and the best way to overcome them is to ask yourself, "what can I do better to help the team and improve the situation?"
Finally, what would you tell a prospective designer interested in working at Liferay?
Value your teammates. Liferayers are very supportive and always willing to help. You will be surprised at how much they care for you and the team. If you work hard, be supportive, and do your best, you will enjoy your time, learn a lot from talented people, and grow into a better individual.
Good luck on your next design adventure, PJ. We’ve learned a lot from you during the last few years, and we know you’ll continue to pleasantly surprise the next team you join. If you’d like to learn more about PJ you can check out his dribbble portfolio or find him on LinkedIn.
