Our “Get To Know” series features young professionals in Ohio who have started or pivoted to UX and adjacent fields in the last five years.
Pearl Greene, Senior UX Designer at Sherwin Williams
Tell us a little about yourself! What do you enjoy outside of work?
I’m Pearl Greene, a senior user experience designer at Sherwin Williams, originally from Ghana, and now proud to call Akron, Ohio my home.
Beyond the office, I cherish moments spent with my husband, friends, and in-laws, while also staying closely connected with my family in Ghana through frequent FaceTime sessions. I’m enthusiastically diving into disc golf, enjoying the company of my beloved cats, Alfie and Moose, nurturing my garden, and rekindling my passion for reading novels.
Exploring the globe with my husband and savoring new culinary experiences ranks high on my list of favorite pastimes.
Tell us about your path to becoming an UX Designer. How did you end up in this role?
My journey began when Ashesi University introduced robotics to my high school, diverting me from a medical career into the world of computers. Pursuing a computer science degree at Ghana’s sole liberal arts institution expanded my horizons, nurturing my interest in entrepreneurship and design. I developed a passion for problem-solving, mentoring numerous high school students in design thinking.
In my final year, I naturally gravitated towards human-computer interaction, realizing my forte in software engineering was identifying problems, redesigning, and documenting solutions. Following graduation, I worked as a user experience designer in Accra, bridging the tech gap for small-scale entrepreneurs.
Over four years, I wore various hats, including UI development and product management, culminating in my role as Head of Product before relocating to the United States. A UX Akron meet and greet facilitated my introduction to the American job market, where I worked as a user experience designer for Landi Industries.
Subsequently, I joined Sherwin Williams in the Store Operations group, focused on modernizing their systems and facilitating the transition from outdated technology to user-friendly solutions.
What’s your favorite part of your workday or week?
The highlight of my workday is the exhilarating collaboration with my exceptional team, where we embark on crafting revolutionary user experiences. At Sherwin Williams, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside a team I genuinely adore. They’ve not only fostered my professional growth but also accelerated it, propelling me to new heights in record time.
Tell us about Ghana! What do you miss most?
What I miss most about Ghana? Well, it boils down to the three Fs: Family, Food, and Friends. Particularly, I yearn for my mother’s cooking and her doting care. While Asian and Mexican cuisine have helped fill that void to some extent, I’ve even stumbled upon Ghanaian-inspired dishes in unexpected places!
Improving my own cooking skills has provided quick fixes when nostalgia strikes. Through this journey, I’ve come to realize that, despite our diverse cultures, we all share a common human experience. It’s a reminder that we’re more alike than different, transcending accents and appearances to appreciate our shared humanity.
Do you use anything in your work now that you learned in school or in previous roles that surprises you, that you thought you’d never use now?
Surprisingly, my education, both in college and from previous roles, continues to astound me with its relevance in my day-to-day work. From entrepreneurial insights to social theory, human-computer interaction, and programming skills, I find myself drawing upon a rich reservoir of knowledge.
In Ghana, I crafted inventory and point-of-sale systems tailored for the local market, and it’s intriguing how these experiences still resonate here. Dealing with challenges like low internet access, prioritizing accessibility, and navigating the unpredictable timelines of product development, even with large teams, has given me a unique perspective that fosters empathy with leadership and their requests.
Moreover, my entrepreneurship classes have ingrained the significance of harmonizing user needs with business objectives to ensure efficiency and profitability. I must extend a heartfelt shoutout to my college for equipping me with these invaluable tools for navigating the professional world.
If you could give yourself 10 years ago advice from yourself today, what would it be?
It’s all gonna work out. Breathe! You don’t need to be first in class to make it in life 
Do you know a stellar UX, UI, Product, or Software Designer or Researcher who has joined the field in the last five years that we should feature? Let us know!
