We at UrVenue love shining a bright light on the diverse and unique individuals that make up this incredible team. Whether it’s celebrating our women leaders, sharing the stories of our tenured team members, or looking back at how much we have grown over the past decade, it’s the unique backgrounds and experiences of each of our talented team members that contribute to UrVenue’s overall success.
This month UrVenue is proud to recognize our incredible Asian American Pacific Islander team members and their contributions to our organization. Jameson Domingo, our UI/UX manager, and Shang Gao, our UI/UX designer, discuss how their heritage and experience have played a role in their successes within the tech industry.
Jameson Domingo, UI/UX Manager
UI/UX manager Jameson Domingo, who was raised by his Filipino parents in Hawaii, has been in Vegas for 15 years and started his career in the hospitality industry. His classwork at UNLV led him to a marketing/graphic design internship at Westgate Las Vegas, an experience he leveraged to land his first post-college job at a tech company focused on small business mobile apps.
Here at UrVenue, Domingo leads a team of UI/UX designers who create B2B and B2C products. He says his background in hospitality helps him identify specific client needs and wants, a key factor for creating UI/UX design.
Domingo says he helped to increase user efficiency in the company’s software through good design during his tenure at UrVenue. “I am at the forefront of design for an industry first — Itinerary Builder,” he says. “With my background and culture, I’ve added value to our office culture and the work environment. As someone who was born and raised in Hawaii, I bring the ‘Aloha Spirit’ to UrVenue every day.”
For Domingo, inspiration these days centers on his personal life. “If you asked me what inspires me even four months ago, I would have given you a completely different answer,” he says. “Today, my inspiration is my ‘Ohana,’ which is ‘Family’ in Hawaiian. My four-month-old daughter Rory Noelle and my girlfriend Jamie are my ‘why.’ They are my meaning, my passion in life, and literally, my inspiration.”
Domingo says that throughout his tech career his culture and heritage have played a critical role in his successes. “I was raised by my parents and grandparents, and all they expected from me was to do my best and aim to get good grades in school,” he explains. “That whole concept helped build the foundation in my life. Anything I do, I put my best foot forward; any task I’m given, I make sure it’s done correctly.”
Shang Gao, UI/UX Designer
UI/UX designer Shang Gao was born and raised in China and moved to the United States when he was 10 years old. Gao says his decade of experience working in the design and advertising fields directly relates to his goals and approach to work as a UI/UX designer. “The ultimate goal in hospitality is to serve the guest better, to make them comfortable during the stay,” he says. “With UrVenue there is no difference — we help resorts and their guests to achieve this ultimate goal.” Gao is responsible for elevating the UrVenue digital channels in order to deliver on our commitment to guest service. This responsibility often includes reexamining a user interface from the mindsets of many different potential users, ensuring that every user and guest receives best-in-class service.
Drawing inspiration from UX pioneers like Steve Jobs and Elon Musk, Gao says he wants to “provide the best user experience and interface for our software and create the best booking experience and inventory management possible for our providers.”
Gao’s tech philosophy is also deeply rooted in his heritage and culture. “Lao Tzu, an ancient Chinese philosopher once said, ‘Do the difficult things while they are easy, and do the great things while they are small. A journey of a thousand miles must begin with a single step,” he says. “If we apply this philosophy to UX design, we will understand how good UX can help the company succeed.”
Gao says that he and many other AAPI tech workers bring with them a strong work ethic. “We work hard, no questions asked. No excuses given,” he says. “We just use our best knowledge and experience to serve this industry.”