Design x JC Jubilo
Educator & Freelance Product Designer
Illustration by Bonnie Kate Wolf
Interview conducted by Jennifer Kumura on February 19, 2020
Tell us your name and position.
Hi, I’m JC, and I am a product designer. I’ve worked for different companies since I graduated in 2009, but I’m currently teaching the User Experience Design Immersive program at General Assembly, a full-time program for people who want to become UX designers.
Tell us about how you became a designer.
I was never really comfortable with the term “designer,” since the word “design” is usually associated with visuals. I’ve always thought of myself as a problem solver instead, as someone who can digest complex information and come up with something very simple, something that works. That’s how I’ve approached design to this day.
In the beginning, I actually studied Biology as my first major in Korea, but I wasn’t interested in pursuing a career in science. I just couldn’t see myself working in a lab or wearing a lab coat. Shortly before graduation, I stumbled upon a job opportunity at an internet-ad agency, formerly DoubleClick Korea, a form of keyword advertising. Google ended up buying them and turning them into their Google keyword product.
I decided to work there because I was always comfortable with technology. I’d taught myself HTML and CSS, so I thought it would be pretty easy. I started as an Account Executive, which is a fancy way to say “someone who creates proposals for internet ads and pitches them to different clients,” sort of like a middleman between websites and clients.
I worked there for a little less than three years. During that time, I realized that I wanted something more tangible for my career, instead of selling and marketing. Long story short, I decided to go to school again, but this time, here in the United States. I got my second Bachelor’s in Web Design and Interactive Media, to combine my interest in technology and the experience I gained at the agency. That was the beginning of my design career.
Why did you come to the U.S. for your design education?
My family encouraged me to start fresh and get an advanced education, and to pursue the areas of expertise that the U.S. is known for. A lot of Korean people come here for graduate degrees in engineering or even design crafts and things like that. So I guess I’m one of them.
Now that you teach design, how do you think design education has evolved over time?
Back then, there weren’t that many options for working professionals to pursue anything other than what they already learned from their Bachelor’s, so education has evolved a lot.
I have a lot of opinions about traditional education. First of all, people don’t need to spend four years in learning something you can learn in three to six months with a combined general education.
“…people don’t need to spend four years in learning something you can learn in three to six months with a combined general education.”
I don’t think it should be more than that. Maybe a year. Maybe two years. It’s just way too long, and way too much money.
And at that age of 19, 20, or even 21, there’s no way you know what you want in life. This idea is a socially constructed system that ties people into a huge debt. Eventually, and then, make them stay, almost whether they like it or not. That decision is being made way too early on, and I really don’t like that.
General Assembly is one of the companies tackling this problem. I don’t know if there is any one company that is the best approach, but I believe that if there are more options, it is better for people—at least they can consider these options. I feel good about the general direction of where, at least, the professional education space is going, and I’m excited to see what’s coming next.
What would be an ideal format for professional education?
Referring back to what I just mentioned, perhaps the program can be two years. One year could be dedicated to developing general professionalism, accountability, and communication skills, including speaking and writing. Then, the other half of the time could be dedicated to learning the actual topic. The outcome of this type of program, I think, could be very good. Someone can get a job out of this program in a short period of time.
Shorter programs might not be enough for some people because they happen to lack some of these fundamental skills like writing and speaking. What I’ve seen from these programs is that outcomes could vary vastly. The people who decide to join these shorter programs generally have confidence and can see themselves succeeding afterwards, but outcomes could still vary.
It sounds like you’re very passionate about disrupting today’s ecosystem of education. How does that perspective affect you as a designer?
I would love to continue to be involved in education, in one way or another. I’m gaining a lot of classroom experience here at GA, and I’m realizing that there are limitations as to what one individual can do. The type of education, I’m giving as part of a whole service, rather than being able to teach the subject matter only.
For example, we have to provide a lot of emotional support, which was something that I didn’t anticipate when I started. I would love to engage in education, but I would probably go back to designing and creating, which is what my original passion was.
What are the types of things that you want to create in life?
I’ve worked on a lot of websites and apps, but I would love to work on something totally different. I’m confident that I can problem-solve in any medium, any platform, because I believe in my strong problem-solving abilities. Good designers can do pretty much anything. Ability is not just confined to one medium.
“Good designers can do pretty much anything. Ability is not just confined to one medium.”
It would take time for even the strongest designers to get used to the new platform, but once they do, I think they can perform really well.
As you’re exploring different mediums, are there any particular industries you hope to pursue?
On the practical side, I think it would be fulfilling to work on business applications, just because the metrics are clear. I’m open to anything though. Connected devices are interesting, just because all the devices are connected and you can’t really get away from that. And why would you want to, anyway? Thinking about the interactions that happen around you, including your phone, TV, and computer—it just adds a level of complexity that I enjoy solving.
What do you feel are some of the challenges that designers face these days?
This is not a new problem, but I’m a senior level designer, and I have no other senior level titles other than Director and Manager. When designers take on more responsibility, it actually takes away their responsibility in designing things, which is ironic.
I know there are roles that allow you to be a designer, like Principal Designer, for example, but that’s still very rare. And if you’re at an ordinary company and you advance in your career, you’re just automatically considered to become a manager, which is a totally different skill set. I don’t know how other designers have been navigating that issue.
Usually, I see people just accepting the role, just for the promotion and salary increase, but I don’t think that’s the right path, especially for the more creative types of people.
What has been your experience like as a woman in tech, or even specifically as an international Asian woman?
I personally haven’t had any negative experiences as a female minority, or a foreigner. I can say that I’ve generally had good experiences working in the U.S.
I do think a lot of professionals from Asia who now work here have a hard time being vocal about what they think or what they want, especially women. I see it all the time among my peers. They struggle with that. For example, I have a peer who’s in the scientific field, and she’s really, really great at what she does. She doesn’t necessarily get recognized as a rockstar though, and the credit goes to someone who speaks well. That could happen in any workplace.
There’s definitely something that could be done for Asian women to get more used to voicing ourselves. Maybe we need to have these discussions about it being okay to let people know what we think, and that it will be helpful in the long run.
I am the type of person who’s quiet, but if I have anything to say, I’ll say it. It’s better to just say things, even if you have to correct yourself later.
“I am the type of person who’s quiet, but if I have anything to say, I’ll say it. It’s better to just say things, even if you have to correct yourself later.”
But it’s tricky because I don’t think being vocal is always the right thing to do. Compared to European and Asian work culture, American work culture is more aggressive and that type of behavior is definitely celebrated more. I'm still not saying that being quiet is wrong though. Here, you should always speak up. It’s just the reality of where we work and for the professionals around us.
As a naturally quiet person, I think of it as part of my work and something I have to deliver. It’s not something that I can afford not to do. That’s how any type of decision gets made. You have to get that buy-in first, that building of trust. First, you have to be adaptable to a point until you have that currency to make the call.
How would you describe your leadership style?
I think I’m still in the process of finding my own leadership style. I think about it quite a lot because it has been a really unique, challenging journey, for me as a reserved person. Being in the front of a huge group of people is challenging, but I think there is always a way to leverage your own strength. I can be very objective and very clear in my instructions and feedback.
In your experience with design teams, what makes your team work well together?
I had good interactions with a team that was very open to their process, rather than guarding what they’re working on. I really love when people try new things, different methods, software to make work more efficient. It’s really frustrating when the changes are not welcome. This was the beginning of agile practice at the company, at the time. They were really proactive in subscribing to JIRA, morning rituals, and end-of-day sync-ups. It was all new to us, but they just went ahead and did it anyway. I really love people who are willing to try things and want to make things more modern.
What are some of your 2020 goals?
I’m moving back to Los Angeles, so just reestablishing myself is a big goal. When I get there, I would love to connect with others, not only designers, but just interesting people who are doing interesting things.
One of the things that I like about San Francisco was the flourishing technology industry. But it was also something that I don’t quite like because I feel like everyone works for tech companies. It makes things more monotonous. I kind of miss being in a diverse crowd of people not in tech at all. That’s very stimulating to me, so I’m looking forward to that type of interaction.
Rapid fire questions:
What’s your favorite thing to do in your free time?
Playing with my puppy.
What’s your favorite book or podcast?
Any novel by Raymond Carver.
What or who inspires you?
My female peers who work hard and take care of their families.
If you could live anywhere, where would that be, and why?
Los Angeles because I’m going there.
How would you describe yourself in three words?
Dependable, objective, kind-hearted.
