In this edition of Workflow, we have Penny Talalak (as nominated by Sam Perryman), a UX/UI Design Consultant at Servian, talking about singing along to 80s and 90s music during work.
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Describe what you do: I design complex software interfaces involving with AI and big data for better user experience. I also design t-shirts and run e-commerce business on the side on top of my weekly experiment with mochi textured donuts.
How do you like your coffee: I actually don’t drink coffee!
Device(s) you use: MacBook Pro 15″, MacBook Pro 13′, Kindle, iPhone X.
Describe your working style in one sentence: Relaxed with food any time, anywhere as long as I have my laptop (with internet of course).
What does your workspace look like: Due to COVID, I sometimes work from home. I usually sit in the living room on the couch with my laptop on the pillow, legs out and faced the TV. I have my speaker playing piano classical music.
When I have meetings, I go to my bedroom and sit on the floor against the wall (for the white backdrop). I chose the living room because it’s the brightest part of the house, open space and most importantly, it’s right next to my kitchen.
How does your workspace affect your creative process: My workspace and its environment is extremely important for me to do my job. As a creative designer, my brain needs a break occasionally. I need open spaces to walk around with bright lights to gain creativity and energy for my work.
Sometimes when I have an idea, I can sit on the same spot up to 4 hours and speed through my work without distraction. However, when it comes to ideating, I cannot put a timeframe on it and sometimes the best idea comes from when I am dreaming or having dinner.
A lot of time when it comes to 9-5 job and I have a desk, I usually don’t sit on my desk but likely to be near the window, in the kitchen or meeting room.
Do you have a favourite playlist for work: If I need to speed through finishing up my work, I listen to 80s/90s so I can sing along. But if I am stressing out, then I don’t listen to music at all. I’ve got into classical lately to revive my days as a violinist.
Who would you like to nominate for the next workflow interview: Ashim Joshi.
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