Zuli Segura’s Latinx Design Directory Is the Much Needed Directory for Creatives
Born and raised in Puerto Rico with some stints in Orlando, FL, I am a product designer but with a graphic design sensibility. I am passionate about creating profound digital experiences centered around identity, representation, and untold narratives. I’ve always created digital products, but it wasn’t until my MFA at MICA (Maryland Institute College of Art), that I began knocking down the walls between product and graphic design. It’s become sort of a given for me to try to bring the expressive nature of traditional forms of graphic design like zine culture or printmaking onto the world of screens. It’s something I actively practice at my current role as a Product Designer at Squarespace.
The Creation of Latinx Design Directory
As a born-and-raised Puerto Rican, in a new environment, I look for ways, things, or people that remind me of home. Having moved to Orlando, FL, at a young age, the culture shock wasn’t too jarring as there was a significant Latinx population. And when I moved to NYC, there were many pockets of home all around me. It wasn’t until I moved to Baltimore for my graduate studies that I felt deprived of my culture. In a new city without that familiarity, I needed, in my own way, to create moments, spaces that reminded me of home. That feeling while facing the sheer reality of how underrepresented the Latinx community is in both higher education and the design and tech industry, solidified this drive to create something for my fellow Latinxs.
During my MFA thesis year, I began asking myself—how could I tackle the lack of representation and visibility of the Latinx community in design and tech without just stating the problem? I knew how beautifully nuanced Latinx culture is and, yet, how little space there is for us in this industry. With the Latinx Design Directory, I set out to create and foster a safe, bustling environment where Latinxs could bask in their roots, identity, and culture, and proclaim their contributions and place in the design and tech field. I wanted it to be a visual representation of our talent, passion, and Latinx pride, and serve as a tool. It’s there to provide exposure, be a resource, help land a job or a gig, and in the end, champion its members.
A More Inclusive Vision
I began my process by identifying problems and forming hypotheses based on my findings. While auditing existing directories, I discovered limited filtering systems, a lack of individuality, an emphasis on quantity over quality, and monotonous interfaces. I needed to introduce a newer, fresh take on the rigid grid system and wave goodbye to normative web design that is especially rampant across online directories.
As for the visual language, I knew from day one that it could not take away from the members. These individuals make this directory possible; it's why there's so much life to this interface. To obstruct the view would've been a dishonor. I wanted to design an interface that felt warm and inviting, not contrived, with subtle elements of surprise. Most importantly, I wanted to design a space that would allow the members to shine.
Of course, I also wanted to incorporate elements from my culture in a way that felt empathetic and not forced—Spanish phrases, quotes from members detailing their experiences as designers and identity as a Latinx, and a hover state with floating dominoes.
The Beginning and the Future
Two months into creating the directory, I began compiling my ideal launch members into Google Sheets, organizing everyone by discipline, occupation, nationality, and location. Once I confirmed a developer, I used my prototype to create an enticing trailer announcing the directory to send to my list of potential debut members. I reached out to two batches of designers and technologists leading up to the launch, which got me around 15 members. I remember being disappointed with the number of people who didn't get back to me and worried about the launch. It wasn't until I announced the directory one week before launch where I began receiving so many applications. Since launch, it's only gone up. Currently, the directory has 92 members—almost at 100! I am really excited to see it continue to grow.
Zuli Segura is the founder and creator of Latinx Design Directory and works as a Product Designer at Squarespace.
Text, Photography, and Images by Zuli Segura
Additional Photography and Images by Jaime Segura, Maridelis Rosado Morales, Mary Younkin, La Taberna