Welcome to Talking Tuesday!
In this interview series, we introduce you to our specialists. They’ll give you a behind-the-scenes look: what’s it like to work at Humanoids, and what are they currently working on? This month, meet Sarah, UX designer.
What project are you currently working on?
A month ago, I started at Uber in the Customer Obsession team. Before that, I worked at Rabobank for three years within Chapter Design on the mobile banking app for private customers.
What do you find most interesting about it?
The variety of the work. I focus on support experiences, both for customers and for the internal employees who handle the issues. You get to see the entire process from different perspectives, which makes it really fun. There’s always a new challenge, and you learn a lot from it.
What do you bring to a team?
I’m stubborn and I think that’s a good quality for a UX designer. When I run into something I don’t yet know how to do, I have the persistence to figure it out and get to the core of the problem. I’m also not afraid to ask critical questions. At the same time, I think it’s important that everyone feels at ease in a team. I consider myself a very empathetic person who can easily put herself in someone else’s shoes. That helps create a nice team atmosphere and also comes in handy during the design process!
What tip would you give someone just starting out?
It’s all a lot less scary than it seems. Be curious and don’t hesitate to ask questions -that’s how you learn along the way. And don’t be afraid to share your opinion: you’re here for a reason. You have something to contribute, and your colleagues want to hear what you have to say.
Can you share a professional situation or experience that really helped you grow?
Stepping out of your comfort zone. I can be quite shy and often prefer to let others do the talking. At Rabobank, they place a lot of value on celebrating your own successes, so you’re sometimes asked to present. I also gave presentations about new components to 400+ colleagues and led a learning block on the topic. It was great to see how enthusiastic everyone was, and it gave me more confidence to speak in front of a large group—even though it’s still something I’m working on.
How have you grown as a specialist over the past few years?
I’m surprised at how much (and how fast) you can grow without even noticing it. At Humanoids, you’re occasionally thrown into the deep which is fun, but also challenging. After graduating, you don’t yet know how things work in the business world. But by simply getting started, you quickly learn what’s expected of you as a UX designer. At the same time, you start to discover your strengths and weaknesses. You get to know yourself better and build more confidence and of course, you gain knowledge! That’s what makes you a specialist in the end.
What do you enjoy most about this field?
That you’re working on something that makes people’s lives easier. We try to make interactions as intuitive as possible and solve potential frustrations. And I love the combination of creativity and analytical thinking! I enjoy new challenges and the variety within UX design. You constantly need to dive into a new context and deal with a different set of requirements.
What are you most proud of since working at Humanoids?
That I keep stepping out of my comfort zone—both at Humanoids and at the client. And how we all work together to make Humanoids better and tackle pain points.
What makes Humanoids special?
The people at Humanoids. We’re a diverse bunch and everyone here is passionate about their work. Thanks to the traineeship, you really get to know each other and build strong bonds with your colleagues. No one here is the same and that’s something Humanoids embraces, which makes it a really great place to work. There’s also a lot of freedom to do your work in your own way, which gives you space to figure out what works best for you and organize things efficiently. Humanoids trusts its employees, and you feel that every day.
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