Meet Nabeel! He is a graphic designer who loves to create animation, website layouts, and podcast images. In this episode of Behind The Coding, Nabeel tells us why he doesn’t Google often, the special role family plays in his life, and the interesting things about his job that he likes.
Hi Nabeel! What are the last 3 things you Googled?
The first thing I Googled was AI advancements in graphics tools.
You are trying to keep up with the AI revolution?
Yes exactly! There are many things that we can do with AI tools, and they make designers' jobs a lot easier.
Ok! What else have you been Googling?
I was looking for new phones and Googling about that.
What specifically do you look for in a phone?
General features – camera quality, speed, security. Phone prices are going crazy high these days, but I am due for a new one!
Ok, and what else?
Honestly… I can’t remember the third thing I Googled.
Really?
Yeah, I don’t Google too often.
Why is that?
Well, I don’t Google for work often because I am usually in a creative mode. I create solutions for clients and I like to think outside of the box as often as possible. Generally, I Google for inspiration but I have noticed I don’t Google as much as my colleagues in development do.
That’s an interesting perspective, Nabeel.
Yeah, I know it is a little different.
When did you last work after hours to solve a hard problem?
In February 2023. You were a big reason for that Sajeel!
I was!
Yes, you and I had dinner with a few teammates at Spice Bazaar a few months ago. Then, after dinner, we all went home. You called me that a client needed something urgently designed. I was up until 2 or 3 AM doing that task.
That was a big ask from them.
Yes, and that’s ok. Most of the time, I find clients are reasonable and flexible with deadlines. Once in a while, something urgent comes up, and that’s quite ok.
Agreed! Who are three people you'd like to have dinner with at the same time, and why?
For sure, one would be my dad. Whom you know from our conversations.
Yes, for sure. He’s a fantastic human being.
He runs a printing business and is a very hard worker. We never really get to spend much time together since we work different shifts.
Is he working again?
Yes, he had a medical issue, and that took him out of work for a while. Now he’s back at the shop every day. He gets bored staying at home and is definitely a workaholic.
All of your stories about him are inspirational. I’d definitely like to meet him one day. Who else would you like to have for your dinner?
My wife, for sure.
That’s an obvious choice, but why?
Because behind every happy person is a woman and behind every sad person is a woman.
Hahaha! And which category do you fall in?
I am blessed to be a happy person, and my wife is a big reason for that.
And who else?
Since you want to meet my dad, you can come with us!
That would be a huge honor! I’d love to learn from him. Where would we go?
Spice Bazaar, for sure. It was really good, and we have always had great times there.
It’s a deal and we will do it one day. When was the last time you cried tears of laughter?
I don’t remember laughing so much that tears came into my eyes. But I do laugh often, obviously.
When specifically?
In December 2022, the Computan team went on an offsite trip to Kashmir, which was fun. I laughed a lot and had a lot of good memories.
Yeah, that was a great experience all around.
Definitely one of the best times in my whole life.
What do you love about design?
This will sound strange.
No, it won’t! Try me.
I like it when clients come up with strange instructions and unclear requirements.
Really?
Yeah. Then when I design it and they think it’s great I like it a lot.
Ah, I see. So you like it when you get loosely-defined requirements and get good feedback.
That’s right 😊. I like knowing I can understand them.
That isn’t strange at all! When was the first time you saw a laptop/computer
I was 11 or 12 years old. My dad bought a computer, a Pentium II or III. He said this is the future, and you need to play games on it.
Wow! That’s great foresight from your dad. What game did you play?
I played Need For Speed II.
And now you’re on a computer professionally. It looks like he changed your life.
He certainly did.
What is something your teammates don't know about you?
There is nothing to hide in me, Sajeel. I am an open book, but maybe my teammates don’t know I am introverted in social gatherings. I have a hard time meeting strangers.
