In our latest Associate Spotlight, we feature a rising talent at SMA: The Program Lifecycle Company, Pauline Dang. She is a user-experience/user-interface (UX/UI) designer whose journey is already making its mark in the SMA world. In just three months she has made a significant impact, bringing fresh perspectives to the table. 

Pauline’s path to UX design began during her sophomore year of college, working on student-led projects. The pivotal experience at UCI shaped the foundation of her career. Subsequent stints at a design internship with UCI’s School of Business, a startup, and a nonprofit paved the way to SMA; where, she was drawn by the impressive capabilities of SMA’s Talent on Demand® (TOD®) application. 

“I was impressed by TOD’s capability and its potential,” she said of the talent platform. “Pushing TOD to greater heights was an endeavor that I knew would be complex and challenging. But, it’s also exciting to think I could play a part in building a better platform for everyone at SMA and beyond.” 

Although relatively new to SMA, she says her most memorable experience has been immersing herself in the complexities of TOD. Learning every nuance of the platform has been a rewarding challenge. 

For those entering the field, Pauline emphasizes the importance of mastering the foundations of UX design. She recommends recreating favorite (and least favorite) apps to refine one’s eye for effective UX patterns. Pauline’s inspiration comes from iconic design systems like Apple’s Human Interface Guidelines and Google’s Material, as well as the everyday design encountered in apps and the environment.  

When asked what she thought about SMA so far, Pauline only had good things to say. “I think my most memorable experience has been the coffee runs with the team at SMA headquarters. It’s been a really fun way to learn more about everyone and experience the great work culture at SMA. Also, I really love coming to work with people who are incredibly smart, passionate, and willing to help whenever I have a question about something.” Additionally, she says she would like to switch places with Greg (Petrisor) for a day, “because he is so cool.” 

Outside of work, a perfect day for Pauline involves a slow morning, a park stroll, and quality time with loved ones. Additionally, she enjoys cooking, with a particular focus on Japanese and Korean cuisines. And one of her future aspirations is to own a cat.