Creatives in the Industry: Q&A w/ Jazmine from Flipside

24 November 2022

Tell us about yourself

Hi! My name is Jazmine Eastall, I'm 24 years old and based in southwest London.

I am currently working as a Junior Digital Product Designer for Farfetch. I work in a hybrid way, so I get the choice of going into the office when it best suits me and my schedule, which I love! On a day-to-day basis, I complete my UI design work using Figma and then use slack and Zoom to communicate with my colleagues. I also use Google calendar to book meetings and collaborate.

How would you describe the work you do in one sentence?

I'd describe the work I do with the analogy of building a Lego town; everyone has their own roles, and building blocks, but together we create a big picture.

What are the most and least enjoyable parts of your job?  

The most enjoyable parts of my job is that I can work from my laptop – so if I want to work from a cafe in central London one day, I can. Provided that I hotspot onto my own wifi. If I want to work from the garden or a garden centre i can, so long as I get what I need to get done.

As for the least enjoyable part of my job, I would have to say it's probably trying to get everyone together for a social event, as we're all so busy with our own lives. Although, when we do manage to get together it's always such a fun time!

How do you know that what you’re doing is right for you?  

This job is just the beginning of my career, but it fits perfectly with the person I am and what I'm drawn to in life. When I was in school, the subjects that interested me and that I enjoyed were Art, Business, Fashion and Maths;  all of which are required within my present role.

What did you want to be when you were growing up?  

When I was younger, I never really had a specific role that I wanted to work as, but I always enjoyed playing ‘Spy kids’ interacting with my pretend computers and gadgets. 

What was your journey like when you were first starting out? What choices did you take to lead you to where you are today?  

I first came across the Flipside programme on a TikTok post, which to this day still feels like fate. At the time, I was working with my Dad doing labouring work, which wasn’t where I wanted to be in life, but I felt discouraged and unworthy of going after a job and its accompanying lifestyle that I desired. You see, I didn’t go to university and during my college years, I wasn’t in the mindset of working toward a career. I felt like I was done with education and so I believed that I couldn’t ever get myself a career in a creative pursuit. However, when I came across this post, I was strongly drawn to it and decided to apply as I had nothing to lose.

What were some of the biggest inspirations to your work or career? 

I have two things that drive inspiration for my work which are sustainability and connection. With this in mind, I hope to be a part of making a real and substantial change toward a more sustainable world and can help create a world where we can cultivate a better and deeper connected community.

What have been some of your biggest challenges and how did you overcome them? 

Self-confidence was a major challenge that I had to overcome, as well as imposter syndrome – which I learned how to recognise and overcome whilst on the programme itself! I am very grateful for having learned this before starting the main part of the programme as it brought our group closer and helped me understand myself better!

What is your most memorable moment from this experience and why?  

It’s hard to pin the most memorable moment of my experience on Flipside to one single moment as the entire adventure was amazing; meeting new people, nurturing friendships, growing as a person on a personal and professional level, traveling to locations I wouldn’t normally and just sharing experiences with caring individuals who really want to see you win in life. If I had to select one moment say, I'd say it was once we had all finished our final presentations we all collectively applauded one another, and it was such a proud moment.

How has this experience benefited you or your career?  

This experience has benefited me massively in so many ways; from believing in myself and learning how to make connections; to kickstarting my career and getting to see my city and life from a completely new and prosperous point of view!

If someone asked you if or why they should sign up for Flipside, what would you tell them? 

Don’t think twice! Go and sign up as fast as you can, it will be life changing! I would also strongly remind them that life is what you make it, so as much as you will be given help, you must choose to embrace it and make the best out of what is given to you - because when you do, you really can surprise yourself!

How has it been navigating the industry as a person with your identity?  

I now navigate the UX/UI industry in a state of openness. I know that I have only just started out and sometimes I find myself hearing the imposter syndrome voice in my head, but with the tools that I learned during the programme, I speak to my peers about it and realise that everyone to differing degrees has it and that rather than letting it scare me from moving forward, I channel it into a reason to connect with others and grow.

What’s the most useful advice you have ever received related to your career?   

The most useful advice I've ever received regarding my career was

1. No question is a silly question- so ask away!
2. You don’t have to be perfect to start something!

I never imagined that applying to Flipside would propel me forward in my career and allow me to start actively shaping my future in such a positive light.

What are some key learnings that you'd like to share with people?

Some key learnings I’ve learned as a product designer are- there are no specific guidelines on where and what you should start learning, so go with what you enjoy or are interested in, and if you’re a practical learner like me and your company allows it, take up opportunities such as courses or design sprints as much as you can.