I like solving the right problems with the right design solution. I’m a challenger of assumptions, asker of 1.000 questions and the one that finds that one weird bug. Hire me for your next project or as UX Coach.
Mailaddress:
Vlijtseweg 130 – ruimte 3
7317 AK Apeldoorn
I love these projects because it’s like solving a blank puzzle with sometimes missing pieces and as a bonus you actually the people you work with. Yes your colleagues also deserve awesome software. Don’t leave them in the Legacy Dungeons, tabbing through terminal software (true story).
The user journeys within Enterprise UX are often complex, and the user’s motivation differs greatly from for instance e-commerce. There can even be a lack of motivation to change, but the rewards are huge when you finally break through with improvements that make their workday even just a little bit better.
These projects usually require aligning with a small user base but a large group of stakeholders and closely collaborating with Business Analysts, Architects, Frontend- and Backend developers. Not only designing deliverables but designing processes and enabling teams to craft better solutions.
I once read an article on form design, on the art and craft inside the complexity, and it all fell into place when I got my first e-commerce job in 2001. I started working for one of the largest insurance companies in the Netherlands. As soon as I learned, they did A/B testing on printed ads and their Direct Writing efforts. The first thing I asked was, “Why don’t we do that online”?Â
It didn’t take much convincing, actually, and I got that ball rolling pretty quickly. After that, I developed skills to identify and design experiments and analyse the results. I even contributed to the “Design for Conversion” conferences in 2008, 2009 and 2011.
As soon as you mention “Conversion”, you’ll have my attention, I cannot help myself.
In the past, I might have said things like, “The original design is better than the live version”. It is a real struggle for designers, and there can be many causes at play, but the least of it should be your relationship with your team.
As a designer, you have such a responsibility to be open, to communicate and to onboard the right people into the right discussions. Don’t hoard your designs and don’t try and do it all by yourself.Â
I’ve even written an article about this; “Don’t be a tool“. So these days, I go by the motto “Happy team = Happy & Proud Designer“.Â