Meet Vic de Aranzeta | Design Anthropologist and User Experience Designer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Vic de Aranzeta and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Vic, why did you decide to pursue a creative path?
Growing up, I was surrounded by creative individuals in my family and social circle, including painters, musicians, photographers, and writers. This influence sparked my interest in the arts and led me to pursue illustration and photography 15 years ago.

However, I eventually ended up pivoting my studies to cultural anthropology and archaeology, where I worked on archaeological sites and in museums for seven years while also freelancing as a designer. But my passion for storytelling as a mode of connection through art and design led me on the path to my current career as a User Experience Designer (UX).

I decided to fully pursue a creative career because I felt unfulfilled and drained with academic and purely analytical roles. UX Design allows me to combine my analytical and creative mindset and leverage my anthropology experience to design truly human and culture-centered services and products.

As I look back on my journey, I recognize it was not a very linear path, but I’ve found that to be incredibly common, especially when pursuing a creative or artistic career. I am thankful for where my journey has taken me and the ability to do work that excites me. The decision to pivot to UX Design was scary, but with the support of loved ones like my partner David Bazzano, my family, and my self-determination, I found the courage to pursue a fully creative career.

Please tell us more about your work. We’d love to hear what sets you apart from others, what you are most proud of or excited about. How did you get to where you are today professionally. Was it easy? If not, how did you overcome the challenges? What are the lessons you’ve learned along the way. What do you want the world to know about you or your brand and story?

I think what makes me stand out is my background in archaeology and anthropology, as well as my experience in design and illustration. I really value the diverse knowledge and perspective I’ve gained throughout my career, and I try to bring that into any role or company I work with. Most importantly, it has helped me to always keep the varied human experience front and center in my work.

Transitioning from academia to the world of UX design was a lot of work, but it was all worth it in the end. I had to learn new skills, engage with online design communities, tackle design challenges, connect with people over coffee, and spend hours reading up at the library and on YouTube. But the most important thing I did was create a UX design portfolio and case study presentation, which helped me stand out to potential employers and peers. Although it was a bit of a challenge, it really made me stand out to recruiters and hiring managers.

Transitioning to a new career path was definitely a challenge, but I had an amazing support system made up of my loved ones and mentors in the design industry. There were plenty of bumps in the road, but my mentors helped me navigate through them. Even though there were people who doubted me, I was lucky enough to come across many individuals who believed in me and wanted to see me succeed. If you ever find yourself in a similar situation, don’t hesitate to seek out those who can offer guidance, learn from them, and don’t forget to stay confident in yourself throughout the journey.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I love to be a tourist in my own city and take people to places they wouldn’t normally go or be recommended from an online ‘top 5’ list. I’d first take my best friend to grab a tasty pastry and some coffee at Farley’s in Potrero Hill before heading over to Mission Dolores Park to get a zoomed-out view of the city and see San Francisco’s bedroom.

After that, we’d head to the Castro District to pick up a vegan delight from Taco Boys to add a nice base layer before going to Golden Gate Park to visit some the museums and gardens – we’d have to walk around the Botanical Gardens, hit up the de Young, and wrap at the Japanese Gardens for a little tea snack.

On another day we’d head over to Fort Point in the Presidio – Fort Point offers interesting history and beautiful views of underneath the Golden Gate Bridge, and it’s a great area to jump onto a hike or head down to the beach.

After hanging out in the Presidio, the wind will most certainly have made us freezing and probably hungry again – so we’ll wrap up in North Beach and Chinatown. First stop, Tony’s Pizza for a couple of slices before heading over to Victoria Pastry for some cannoli and an espresso. We’ll wrap up the night walking around the oldest Chinatown in the U.S. and maybe snacking on freshly made fortune cookies at the Golden Gate Fortune Cookie Factory.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
I’d like to give a shoutout to David Bazzano, and my family. They’ve been so supportive of my decision to pursue a creative career and have always believed in me and supported my decision. When diving into the unknown, it always helps to have people in your corner cheering you on.

I’m also very thankful for the many resources and perspectives that the UX community continually shares – these perspectives help to shape and evolve the practice into something better and more human-centered.

Website: https://www.vicdearanzeta.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/snapswithvic/

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vicdearanzeta