Ana is an industrial designer with 7 years of experience in product design for audio equipment and custom furniture, skilled in managing the full product lifecycle—from ideation and prototyping to mass production and supplier coordination. She is proficient in SolidWorks, OnShape, AutoCAD, KeyShot, Adobe Illustrator, and Photoshop, with strong expertise in 3D modeling, 2D drafting, and quality control.

*7 years in product design, specializing in audio equipment and furniture design. 
*Has led design efforts for high-end OEM products, overseeing the entire product lifecycle from ideation to mass production, including managing supplier coordination, prototyping, and quality control.
 
Employment History 
MusicTribe (2022–2025) / Industrial Designer (Project-Based Contract)
Led the design and development of Tannoy brand loudspeakers and other audio equipment, from conceptualization to mass production.
Managed OEM product designs, ensuring that product specifications aligned with company standards.
Coordinated with suppliers to ensure timely delivery of materials, resolving issues related to language barriers and product specifications.
Notable Achievement: Ana worked on high-cost, high-sensitivity speaker products made from solid wood and gold emblems, ensuring that prototypes and production met premium standards. She also helped streamline supplier communication, improving efficiency despite language and time zone barriers.
Reason for Leaving: Looking for a full-time, remote position that offered more stability, career growth, and the opportunity to have a long-term impact.
 
Furniture & Architectural Design (2017–2022/ Industrial Designer
Ana has over 5 years of experience in custom furniture design for both commercial and residential projects, including high-profile work for hotels.
She led the full design process from concept ideation to installation, including a major hotel project in Boracay where she designed custom furniture for hotel rooms.
Designed custom furniture pieces for a wide range of clients, including hotel chains and residential properties.
Worked closely with interior designers, project managers, and clients to develop designs that matched their functional and aesthetic needs.
Oversaw prototyping and installation, ensuring that all designs met client specifications and adhered to quality standards.
Reason for Leaving: Wanted to explore a different side of product design and work on consumer electronics projects was a key motivator for the career switch.
 
Motive: Seeking a full-time remote role to expand her design skills.
Employment: Full Time
Tools: SolidWorks, OnShape, AutoCAD, KeyShot, Adobe Illustrator, Photoshop
Time Tracker: Ok to use
Current Rate: $1,200 USD per month
Asking Rate: $1,800 to $2,000 USD per month
Availability: ASAP
 
 
 
Screening Questions
1. Can you briefly walk me through your design background and probably start with the most recent experience that you've had and if you can also describe the things that you're handling or what exactly were you in charge of?
My most recent experience is at MusicTribe, where I worked on speakers. I handled OEM products, focusing on rebranding and redesigning to meet company standards. My work involved product ideation, market research, and working directly with Chinese suppliers on product specs, 3D models, 2D drafts, and prototyping.
 
2. Can you discuss a project that you found particularly impactful or rewarding? What was your design process like on that particular project, and what tools did you use?
There was one project at Kansho Contract Furniture where we handled a big hotel in Boracay. We were assigned to design the bed, desk, and office chair for the hotel rooms. When we started the design, we collaborated with the hotel designers and interior designers, and I even got to visit the project before the hotel opened. Seeing my designs there was really rewarding because I knew they would be used by people and make them feel comfortable. We started with ideation. I had meetings with the hotel designers, hotel owners, and their project managers, along with our drafting team and design team. We collaborated for about one to two months before kicking off the production process. We mainly used manual drafting for the furniture and AutoCAD. For the renderings, I used SolidWorks and KeyShot for the 3D models and renderings. After designing, we began prototyping in our factory. We made smaller-scale versions of the furniture designs, then checked the dimensions and scaling. Once it was good to go, we manufactured one item per category, like one bed, one chair, and one desk. Then, for the full-scale version, we checked durability and manufacturability to ensure it was easy to produce quickly. After that, we met with the designers and hotel owners to confirm that they were happy with the designs and measurements. Once approved, we mass-produced the furniture. After delivering it, we arranged the furniture in the rooms to make sure it followed our design standards.
 
3. Can you talk more about a specific product you designed from concept to production, and the challenges you encountered? What challenges did you face with the suppliers during this process?
In MusicTribe, I handled one high-end speaker. So, from conceptualization, we do two to three sketches of – so, our CEO has options for the designs. Then after meeting with the CEO, he picks one or two designs per person. This was a Tannoy speaker. It’s made of wood and gold emblems. It’s a high-end product and a sensitive product for us because it’s high in cost. So, it’s a very big challenge for me since I was from a furniture design background. From there, after conceptualizing, I usually do research on my own on how these products are produced and how they’re built from scratch, what parts should be included in this product. I do it on my own. After the CEO picks the design, we do 3D models to check if it will be a nice-looking product. Then after that, we get another meeting with our CEO to polish the design. Once the design is picked, we do the bill of materials and product specifications. We specify what speaker to use, what materials to use, what lighting to use, usually with LED lights on our speaker, what color. We have standards with that. We specify it before giving it to the suppliers. Then, after that, we do a meeting with the Chinese suppliers for prototypes. One challenge I remember was when we had to negotiate the parts for the PCB of the speaker, specifically the capacitors. We had to research manufacturers in China who could make them cheaper but still maintain high quality. After gathering this data, we presented it to our supplier and made a deal. We agreed that if we increased the number of parts we would purchase, they would give us a better price.
 
4. How did you ensure accuracy and clarity when preparing materials for production?
We usually do this in 3D simulation with our 3D models. We partner with our engineering team to double-check the dimensions, but we have a standard in our company. We have a manual that has standards for the cabinets of the speakers. So, we pattern it from there. If it’s the same shape, we use 3D modeling and 2D drafting. For example, if the speaker is square, we do the 3D model and 2D drafting per face of the speaker.
 
5. Was there a time where you had to troubleshoot a design or material issue and how did you resolve that?
We had one speaker that was plastic, and the texture was not correct. The prototype speaker we received wasn’t the right texture. So, we asked the suppliers for their swatches for the texture of the cabinet. We had to go through two weeks waiting for those swatches, then after getting them, we sent the right texture that we wanted.
 
 
 
Culture Fit

1. What are your top "work values" (e.g. Being hard-working, being on-time, being proactive etc.) that you try to strive for as a professional?
   - My top work values are punctuality and flexibility/adaptability. Changes happen and one cannot get stuck; one must be able to adapt immediately. Also, deadlines are more than just dates, even a little delay, can affect the whole workflow of the whole project cross department

2. What are the most important learnings you've had in your career?
   - To never stop learning. Everything is evolving, new software, new features, new approaches, new trends, and you should be flexible enough to learn them on your own.

3. Who were your top mentors and what did you learn from them?
   - My previous manager, I have learned not just skills but also how to approach people and things differently. - My partner, she has teached me the most valuable lesson to improve myself. That is to be patient, and it's okay to go out of your comfort zone.

4. What are your most effective habits that you've learned over the years.
   - My most effective habit I learned was Learn to pause. We live in a busy life where everything passes by, and we forget to breath and take a pause. Taking a pause is more productive than it seems.