Design career journeys: From sound recordist to UX designer

Adolfo Hernandez Santisteban on how an understanding of emotional tone and context in sound design helps him empathize with user needs in UX

Illustration by Gracia Lam

What do you do at Adobe?

Adolfo Hernandez Santisteban: I’m a staff designer focusing on audio tools, where I bridge the world of sound and user experience design. My role involves more than enhancing individual product features, it involves taking a holistic approach to advancing audio across Adobe’s ecosystem. That includes tools, like Adobe Premiere Pro and Adobe Audition, where audio plays a critical role, and the CAVA Research org (Co-creation for Audio, Video, Animation) where we work with research to create generative models that solve user needs.

My day-to-day work involves collaborating with geo-located teams, testing audio models, creating design workflows, prototypes, and specs, and advocating for features that can elevate audio and video experiences. Working with geographically distributed teams has been an extremely fulfilling experience—the opportunity to collaborate with people around the world and see how their diverse perspectives contribute to building a more inclusive and well-rounded product is invaluable.

How did you end up in your current role?

Adolfo: My journey into sound was sparked by a passion I discovered in high school, where I first saw audio as a powerful storytelling tool. Inspired by Oscar-winning sound mixer, Jaime Backhst, I dove into sound design for films and games, spending the last 20 years immersed in audio.

A pivotal moment came when I joined one of the big five tech companies and, with the guidance of a mentor, I began to apply sound design principles to user experiences. Each step in my career has built on the last, and all those experiences eventually led me to Adobe. Here, I feel like every skill and insight I’ve gained over the past two decades has come together. I now advocate for the full potential of audio, ensuring it’s at the forefront of our products.

It wasn’t a route I planned, but it taught me invaluable lessons in resilience, accountability, and the profound impact of sound on storytelling.

What’s something about your work history that someone couldn’t learn from LinkedIn?

Adolfo: Beyond technical skills, I’ve consistently advocated for audio’s value, even in visual-first environments. I’ve taken on the role of an “audio lawyer,” ensuring sound isn’t overlooked in product design. In meetings, I champion audio as an equal partner to visuals and emphasize its importance across projects, from bug fixes to user experiences.

What’s the one life skill you think everyone in your role should have?

Adolfo: Empathy. Whether understanding how a sound element affects a scene or how users experience audio features, empathy helps me design with intention, connect with users’ needs, and see sound as part of their creative narrative.

What’s the most useful thing you learned in school?

Adolfo: In audio engineering, I learned the immense value of planning. Good sound starts long before recording begins, just as good design starts with understanding the user and their environment. In sound design, preparation is meticulous: We read scripts in advance and make detailed annotations to understand the emotions, themes, and pacing needed for each scene. We consider the location and its natural acoustics, noting how sounds might reverberate, be dampened, or interact with ambient noise. Often, we even capture samples from the environment beforehand. Together they provide a clear sense of how to approach the recording process on the day.

This approach directly translates to UX design. Just as we study scripts in film sound, in UX we dive into research, to understand user needs, scenarios, and potential friction points before even sketching a design. Early problem identification and insights into user context serve as the foundation, much like a location’s acoustics set the tone for a soundscape. By laying this groundwork, we’re able to build a design with empathy, depth, and a solid structure that can evolve smoothly throughout development.

What’s the most helpful advice you’ve ever received? Why was it so helpful?

Adolfo: “Treat sound as an equal partner to visuals.” It became a guiding principle, reminding me to champion audio’s potential and to advocate for it to be integrated from the start, and not as an afterthought. Just as a visual artist considers light, composition, and color, a sound designer considers tone, rhythm, and spatial presence. Sound can shape perception and emotion as powerfully as visuals, creating an experience that’s balanced and fully immersive.

What’s been the most challenging moment of your career so far? How did you get through it?

Adolfo: Moving from sound design to UX design was a leap that came with a fair share of self-doubt and imposter syndrome. Even with years of experience in sound, I questioned whether my skills were truly transferable and whether I could keep up with those who’d been in UX from the beginning. The process of shifting fields meant rethinking how sound and design intersect, and I often felt like I was navigating uncharted territory without a clear map.

I needed to work harder to catch up, diving into tools and processes that were entirely new to me. From mastering design software to understanding user-centered design frameworks, I had to build a whole new set of skills. It meant long hours, countless tutorials, and sometimes, a lot of trial and error. There were moments where I doubted if I’d ever reach the level of expertise I aspired to.

But over time, by reframing my experience in sound as a foundation for design, my mentor helped me build confidence in my abilities. Instead of seeing myself as an outsider in UX, I began to recognize that my background in sound brought a unique perspective to the table.

What’s your process when you need to solve a big problem?

Adolfo: My process is shaped by my background in sound design, where each phase builds on the one that came before it. I use a design-thinking approach (empathize, define, ideate, prototype, and test) that mirrors my sound design workflow. In sound, I start by understanding the emotional tone and context, analyzing the script, and researching the setting, much like empathizing with user needs in UX. I then collaborate closely with team members to identify issues and brainstorm solutions, like working with directors and editors.

It’s an approach that allows me to experiment and explore creative solutions, whether in sound or UX, by testing techniques and iterating based on feedback. My experience managing sound layers and building immersive soundscapes translates directly into my design work at Adobe—just as each sound layer adds depth to a story, each UX design phase contributes to a product that resonates with users.

When was the last time you felt truly inspired by something? What was it?

Adolfo: The last time I felt truly inspired was during a recent collaboration with audio researchers at Adobe for Project Super Sonic. I have the privilege of working alongside incredibly smart individuals whom I genuinely see as wizards in their field. Every discussion, every research paper they share, opens my mind to new possibilities and ideas. Their insights and innovative approaches to sound not only deepen my understanding of audio technology but also challenge me to think beyond the familiar boundaries of design.

What’s on your heads-down, time-to-focus playlist?

Adolfo: For heads-down work, I’ll often turn to Ranchera and Mariachi songs. There’s something about the passion and soul in this music that brings me joy and fills me with energy. The rich melodies have a way of lifting my spirit, keeping me motivated, and inspiring me to dive deeper into my work. It’s a unique blend of nostalgia and happiness that fuels my creativity and focus.