One of the first things Alex Starnes designed was his own career path.
Now a user experience (UX) designer at NVIDIA, he once had to fight for chances to prove himself in the design field.
After pursuing computer engineering at North Carolina State University, Starnes began his career as a product manager at a large manufacturing company. There, during the final user demonstration of a virtual reality headset, he noticed users had mixed reviews of the product — and that some design changes might’ve helped improve the user experience.
With this realization, Starnes was inspired to pivot his career path to designing positive user experiences. He wanted to understand users’ goals, fears and aspirations, and apply these takeaways to make products easier to use.
But with his background in engineering, Starnes found he had to convince people — including himself — that he could do the job.
“In design, you have to be bold in your convictions and advocate for changes that will make a meaningful impact,” he said. “In this case, it was myself that I had to advocate for.”
On top of his day job, Starnes shadowed a designer on his team, continuously offered to help and took ownership of his continuing education through online courses. Though he never attended a formal design school, his tenacity eventually resulted in small design assignments, which he transitioned into his full-time role in about a year.
In 2020, Starnes joined NVIDIA as a product and UX designer, creating software for GeForce NOW, NVIDIA’s cloud gaming platform which enables members to play PC games from any device and any location, as long as they have an internet connection and a GeForce NOW membership. His designs span TV, mobile and desktop interfaces.
Passionate about understanding members’ needs, Starnes always wants his designs to help people feel more comfortable using the app while also supporting NVIDIA’s business objectives.
Starnes has found that his background in engineering complements the creative nature of design. He’s found ways to incorporate the scientific method into his process, testing hypotheses to see if a change should be made — always driven by goals and user needs over aesthetics.
“Having a technical background helps me connect with our engineering teams in unique ways and better understand how design changes affect the technology behind our products,” he said.
He’s especially proud of being a part of the redesign of the GeForce NOW TV app. After a year-long process, including helping to create alignment around the need for the redesign, Starnes’ hard work was rewarded when members provided positive feedback about the new TV experience and how NVIDIA listened to their needs.
“I was meant to do something in this world, and NVIDIA is a place where I can figure it out,” he said. “I’m called to make technology more approachable, use it to do good and solve interesting problems — and have fun while doing it.”
He enjoys seeing people’s eyes light up when they discover something new or interesting about a product. The joy of what he builds is what drives him every day, though that shouldn’t come as a surprise — it’s exactly how he designed it.
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