5 minutes with Cliff Drane, Limeade VP of UX

We think we have a pretty awesome leadership team. Our leaders are creative. They’re visionary. They’re quirky. And we learn so much from them every day. To share what makes this leadership team tick, we kicked off a new Q&A series. Check out our first post in this series with an interview with Limeade VP of UX — Cliff Drane.

What’s one personal well-being goal you’re trying to achieve this year?

I’m trying to consistently integrate physical activity into my daily life. When I’m not working, my hobbies tend to be creative and sedentary — reading, drawing, playing an instrument and so forth — and I prefer playing a sport to running, cycling or going to the gym. This year, I’m committed to integrating workouts into my work day and finding ways to turn an activity into a game or competition.

It’s the zombie apocalypse. Which LimeMate do you want by your side?

Moses Feliz, a designer on the UX team. He actually has a zombie apocalypse kit. That is super weird and super cool.

If you heard your teammates talking about you, what would you want them to say?

That I help them do their best possible work through inspiration, freedom to explore and timely guidance.

What’s the best career advice you’ve ever gotten?

The word “we” is far more powerful than the word “I”. In interviews or in your daily work approach, if you find yourself saying “I” a lot you are likely way off track. Being egocentric in the creative and UX field is a sure way to find yourself in prima donna land — where no one wants to work with you or for you.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

This, and I’m not kidding. That’s kind of a trick answer though.

“This” — being a creative and user experience practitioner and leader — didn’t exist when I was a kid. I loved video games, reading and creative writing. I was absorbed by drawing and illustration but couldn’t code a lick. I knew graphic design would be the right academic area of pursuit, but the print world didn’t really interest me, and advertising wasn’t an avenue open to pursuing.

In a stroke of luck, my design program at the University of Houston prioritized concept and communication over technical skills. That kind of education exercised visual problem-solving abilities, which is naturally suited to the interactive space. The world evolved at the right time to give me a dream job straight out of college — designing digital interactive experiences for the Houston Museum of Natural Science. I’m grateful that the digital workplace matured so quickly and richly. Everything I love comes together in this kind of setting.