Like Tomaz, her desire to create ignited her transition to product design. While these jobs were fun, “something felt wrong.” An architect at heart, she missed being a maker. After graduating, she worked at startups as a creative strategist and project manager. Melissa Mandelbaum is a product designer who studied architecture in college. Tomaz’s lifelong creative spark has been his desire to “make things that make life easier.” Though a formal role as a product designer was never his direct goal, it’s what ended up suiting his interests best. Design and engineering are just a means,” he explains. “I was very much into products, more so than design or engineering. Think purpose over job titleįor Tomaz Nedeljko, a product designer who used to be an engineer, a drive to build has always been his guiding force. Here’s the lowdown from a few of us who made the switch and landed here at Dropbox.

While each story is different, a few common insights emerged from their caffeinated tangents and tips. How did others who started in different disciplines change careers? How does their past work influence their current design thinking? A few of my coworkers shared stories about their early side projects, first mentors, and big breakthroughs. As a writer-turned-designer myself, I’m fascinated by the diversity in thinking on our team.

Dropbox careers internship