A Q&A session with Joanna Dechnik, UX Designer at BB8 Studio and Michal Zapart, Senior UX Designer at DB Schenker
Today we are very fortunate to have a Q&A session with Joanna Dechnik, UX Designer at BB8 Studio and Siemens Digital Industries Software, and Michal Zapart, Senior UX Designer at DB Schenker Technology Center.
Today we are talking with Joanna Dechnik – UX designer, at BB8 Studio, which specializes in designing digital products and services. Joanna also works as a UX designer at Siemens Digital Industries Software.
Read about her story of getting into a UX adventure with a start-up. Learn how Joanna creates a great user experience, her thoughts on methods to get users’ perspectives, and the journey of becoming a UX designer.
Hello and welcome Joanna!
In which team do you work?
I work in a Product design team with UI and Technical writers.
What is your role in the team?
UX, sometimes UI. I’m responsible for research for my projects since there’s no UX researcher in the company.
What is your working environment like?
I’m working remotely. Have very good contact with the team. Of course, I can count on them. We are often working during calls or using chat. If we need alone time we just say what we are going to work on and of course, we stay available but just working alone is such peace.
How did your adventure with UX begin?
My adventure with UX began with a project I did as part of my learning practice with a Startup. I wanted to continue with them, and they were also happy for me to stay. Of course, it wasn’t paid but the experience was priceless and I’ve learned many things from research, design in collaboration, supervising the design team, organizing and facilitating workshops, and backend since we were working closely with developers.
What has been your greatest success?
My greatest success was when I finally learned how to make a proper presentation of the team’s design and research and I heard from my boss after the presentation I’m doing it really well and the client is listening to me.
What project do you remember from which you had big learning?
My first Startup job. But each project is different and I’m learning a lot of things from them.
How do you create a great user experience?
I always begin with research to understand personas, user behaviors and the market. And what is a brand road map, then I’m using the process I put up out of existing methods. It’s divided into steps with the given time which I have to finish. It keeps me more focused on objectives. The process is reasonably short and yet allows me to finish the discovery and concept stage and turn it into the design. I’m left with materials from this process and that allows me to iterate every time I need them.
What methods do you use to get the user’s perspective and why?
These methods are really depending on the project. For example, user interviews and experience testing: allow me to learn about personas directly. Their daily behaviors and approach to the product can determine their digital savvy. Looking for already made reports that can be found on the internet. Those are real research backed by proper weeks or months of looking into the subject. From them, I can quickly learn about the market sector and statistics. And I understand the product and market tendencies and users in general. Talking to the stakeholders: they possibly know the best about the business, market and users. I have to know the business in order to reflect business perspectives and goals in the product.
How do you most enjoy solving project problems?
I really enjoy talking to my colleagues in the team and making iterations together.
What is your single best piece of advice for a new designer?
Your point of view is not your users. You need to detect your assumptions.
The second great UX leader is Michał Zapart. He is a Senior UX designer at DB Schenker Technology Center, with over 8+ years of experience. Experienced in leading interdisciplinary teams, defining and implementing long and short-term strategies and implementing UX and UI processes. Expert in providing and maintaining design systems. Michał provides consistent UX solutions, well-described scenarios, wireframes and pixel-perfect, interactive high-fidelity mockups. He is also co-working with a front-end developer and providing support in agile methodology.
Hello and welcome Michał!
How did your adventure with UX begin?
My adventure with UX began as a graphic designer.
What has been your greatest success?
For sure, Guidewire’s Design System. I worked as a lead UX designer at Guidewire Software. So I was responsible for the design system transition, design system strategy and functionalities. I maintained Guidewire Jutro design system.
What project do you remember from which you had a big learning experience?
BBH Portal was a project from which I had the biggest learning experience.
How do you create a great user experience?
By asking a lot of questions, running workshops, and basically following the standard UX processes. I like to organize weekly meetings with businesses and iterate.
What methods do you use to get the user’s perspective and why?
UX workshops during which we create personas, user flows, and use cases based on user stories, workflows, etc. In the end, I produce interactive prototypes or if in a hurry just wireframes that I test with end-users.
How do you most enjoy solving project problems?
Understanding the needs.
What is your single best piece of advice for a new designer?
There is no certain or right answer but try to get the closest one. Be always happy to be wrong. Celebrate failures!!!
