Where are you located?
I currently live in Ottawa, Canada. I’m originally from Johannesburg, South Africa and moved to Canada when I was 17. I also spent some time in Taranto, Italy — where my family is from.
What do you like most about being a designer?
I love solving problems and seeing ideas come to life. When we’re exploring different options, I like working with others to identify practical solutions. Then as we go through the building process, I enjoy testing our work and seeing the different pieces come together. Finally, there’s nothing better than seeing our metrics go in the right direction.
I ask myself how can we make the biggest impact with what we’re doing?
What are your favorite tools or resources for staying updated in design trends?
This might sound old fashioned but I seem to learn the most by reading books these days. Every single one that I have picked up has at least one takeaway that helps me in some way. Most recently, I really enjoyed reading The Creative Act by Rick Rubin which helped me connect with my artistic side again.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received in your design career?
Everybody experiences imposter syndrome. One of my mentors shared a video with me on the first day of a job. Since then, I think back to it every time I have a moment of doubt or worry. It has helped me push through every single time and the outcome has always been positive.
What’s something you’ve learned about yourself recently that has really helped you?
I learned the value of taking care of myself. Doing all the not so fun things like going to bed early, eating right, and exercising.
I recently turned 40 and came to appreciate how quickly life passes by. With this perspective, I try to make the most out of every day and don’t let the little things get to me (as much as they once might have). It’s also spawned a go big or go home mentality in approaching problems in my day to day work. I ask myself how can we make the biggest impact with what we’re doing?
WHAT ELSE SHOULD WE KNOW ABOUT YOU, Filippo?
I’m a husband and father of 3 beautiful children. Stella (12), Andrea (9), and Alessio (7). When I’m not working or parenting, I’m trying to stay healthy by exercising or being active. I love traveling and experiencing new foods and cultures. That’s one of the reasons I love working at Automattic — I get to work with people all over the world.
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