Taneisha Lugo

In this sixth and final episode of season 5 of Design Futures, I talk with Tanisha Lugo, a principal product designer at Peacock, NBCUniversal’s streaming platform, where she designs interactive features including mini games, short form content, and experiences tied to major properties like the NBA and the Olympics. Tanisha has previously worked at companies including Instagram, BuzzFeed, HuffPost, and 2communiqué, and her work has been recognized by the Albany Ad Club, Adweek, and the Webby Awards. She is a 2014 graduate of The College of Saint Rose.  

We trace Tanisha’s path from studying fine arts to discovering graphic design and ultimately building a career in digital product design. She reflects on balancing school with real world agency work, and how early exposure to social media campaigns and app design introduced her to UI and UX as distinct but increasingly connected disciplines.

Much of the conversation centers on her evolution from visual designer to product designer, and what that role actually means today. Tanisha walks through how product design brings together user flows, visual systems, prototyping, and collaboration within cross functional teams made up of design, engineering, and product leads. She shares how her role has expanded to include leadership, mentorship, and guiding projects from early ideation through launch and iteration. She discusses the challenge of creating intuitive, engaging experiences for TV interfaces, where users interact through a remote and where innovation often means designing without clear precedents.

We wrap up with talk of New York City walks, bakery research, shortbread cookies, and the realities of balancing work, life, and creative growth.

Time to grab a coffee and a pastry, and have a listen.

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