We sat down with Mirella, a graphic and mobile UI designer, and discovered what is most fascinating about designing mobile apps.
How long have you worked at Musopia?
I joined in June 2023, so it’s been about a year.
Why did you want to work for Musopia?
Musopia checked so many boxes for me that I just knew it would be a good fit. UI design at the intersection of music, education, and gamified apps? In an international, flat-hierarchy company that’s neither too small nor too big? Yes, please!
What is your prior work experience?
I’ve worked as an illustrator for an e-learning startup, as a jack-of-all-trades Visual Designer for a climate foundation, and as a freelance animator and web designer before my current role. I also have some background in writing and journalism.
I’m still regularly staggered by how many talented, smart, and fun people Musopia has brought together.
What is your area of responsibility at Musopia?
I’m a UI designer on the live apps team. Lately, I’ve been working primarily with the Kala ukulele app, but I like to take on other tasks every now and then as a palette cleanser.
How have you been able to develop your skills as a mobile app designer in your current position?
The continuous iteration of the live apps and collaboration with talented team members have taught me a lot, especially since I’m relatively new to mobile app UI design. Pushing my professional boundaries has been both interesting and rewarding.
What is your most surprising learning outcome during the mobile app design process?
It’s been fascinating to observe how users might interact with your prototype or design differently than you imagined they would. It’s always better to test than to assume.
What is the starting point in your design process?
The starting point in my design process typically revolves around understanding the problem or goal that the design aims to address. Once I have a clear understanding of the context and purpose of the project, I move on to brainstorming and ideation, exploring different concepts and solutions. From there, I proceed to sketching, wireframing, and prototyping to visualize ideas and iterate on them. Ultimately, it’s about setting a solid foundation based on insights and objectives, which serves as the North Star to follow during the design journey.
Music is my companion in highs and lows, a booster when I need energy and a wind-down when I need to relax, and a time machine that brings me back to memories I would otherwise never remember so vividly.
What do you like best about your work?
Designing UI for our music apps is a perfect mix of problem-solving, creative freedom, and pixel-perfect attention to detail. It’s like getting to solve a puzzle that, when assembled correctly, rewards you with a better user experience and performance of the product.
What do you think are Musopia’s strengths?
The vision, the company culture, and the people. I’m still regularly staggered by how many talented, smart, and fun people Musopia has brought together.
What is your musical background?
I’ve always loved listening to music, dancing, and singing, but I’ve never had any formal training. I picked up an acoustic guitar some time ago, though, and during my time in the company, I’ve found the joy of playing and singing with others instead of only in the shower.
What instruments do you play?
I have an electro-acoustic company guitar and random instruments like my kantele or my ocarina that I fiddle with for fun, but I mostly sing.
What kind of music do you listen to?
Looking at my playlists, I hear a lot of indie electropop, alternative rock, and synthwave. Sprinkle in some folk metal, drum and bass, video game soundtracks, and ambient soundscapes, and the picture is somewhat accurate.
How do you feel music makes the world a better place?
Music resonates with people in a way that transcends language and amplifies emotions, making it feel almost magical. There’s something profoundly beautiful about how music connects people in ways that many other things can’t.
What is the meaning of music in your life?
It’s a soundtrack to my life, adding a dimension that’s difficult to imagine being without. Music is my companion in highs and lows, a booster when I need energy and a wind-down when I need to relax, and a time machine that brings me back to memories I would otherwise never remember so vividly.
Music resonates with people in a way that transcends language and amplifies emotions, making it feel almost magical. There’s something profoundly beautiful about how music connects people in ways that many other things can’t.
What is your guilty pleasure song, the song that you secretly love?
I refuse to feel guilty about any music I enjoy – embrace the cringe! That being said, something I probably wouldn’t play on a speaker first thing at a party with new people is ‘Life’ by E-Type. I definitely have a nostalgic soft spot for 90s Europop.
What kind of coffee do you start your working day with?
I start my day with the office machine’s ‘special’ option, with oat milk. The most important part is that there’s a lot of it. None of us has figured out how ‘special’ coffee differs from regular coffee since they’re ground from the same extra dark beans, but I like it for the name, if nothing else.
Which famous musician would you like to jam with, if possible?
Jamming with Imogen Heap would be especially cool. She has motion-capturing wearable music tech gloves that work as a looper and control effects with hand gestures, and I want to try them!
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