My Professional Journey in UX Design

Discover my journey as a UX Designer, from early roles where I developed a user-focused mindset to leading projects that transform user experiences. Here, you'll see a closer look at my skills, accomplishments, and how I've contributed to creating intuitive and user-friendly digital solutions.

July 2023 - current

UI/UX designer

At Burda Forward, a leading publishing company, I am currently contributing to an exciting new, never before seen project. In my role as a UI/UX Designer, I focus primarily on usability and visual design to ensure the app is both intuitive and visually appealing.

Key Responsibilities:

Usability Testing: Conducting usability tests to identify user pain points and gather feedback, which informs iterative improvements to the app’s design.
UI Design: Crafting visually engaging and user-friendly interfaces that enhance the overall user experience and align with Burda Forward’s brand standards.
Wireframing and Prototyping: Developing wireframes and interactive prototypes to illustrate the app’s layout and functionality, ensuring clarity and usability at every stage.
User Feedback Integration: Analyzing user feedback and testing results to make data-driven design decisions that improve the app’s usability and user satisfaction.
Collaboration: Collaborating with UX researchers, product managers, and developers to ensure the design aligns with user needs and project goals.

My work at Burda Forward is focused on creating an engaging and user-friendly product that will help users.

UX/UI designer

April 2022 - June 2023

At aifora, a B2B SaaS company that leverages artificial intelligence to optimize purchasing and selling decisions, I served as the lead UI/UX Designer for two product teams focused on AI-driven software solutions. My role encompassed the entire design process, from ideation to developer handover, ensuring cohesive and user-centric outcomes.

Key responsibilities:

End-to-End Design Process: Led the full lifecycle of design activities, including user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing, ensuring a seamless transition from concept to implementation.
Core Module Redesign: Spearheaded the complete redesign of two core product modules, resulting in a 20% increase in customer satisfaction and a 15% reduction in user error rates.
User Research Implementation: Introduced robust user research practices to the company, including regular usability tests, user interviews, and shadowing sessions. These initiatives provided valuable insights that informed design decisions and enhanced overall product quality.
Information Architecture: Reorganized and optimized the information architecture of the software, improving navigation and making critical features more accessible to users.
Interactive Prototypes: Developed detailed wireframes, high-fidelity mockups, and interactive prototypes to visualize and test design concepts. This iterative process ensured that user feedback was continuously incorporated into the design.
UX Writing: Crafted clear, concise, and user-friendly interface copy to enhance usability and guide users through complex processes.
Design System Development: Established and maintained a design system that ensured consistency and scalability across all product interfaces.
Cross-Functional Collaboration: Worked closely with product managers, developers, and other stakeholders to align design objectives with business goals and technical constraints.
Performance Metrics: Monitored and analyzed key performance indicators (KPIs) such as user engagement, task completion rates, and customer feedback to continuously refine and improve the user experience.
Training and Mentorship: Provided guidance and mentorship to junior designers and new team members, fostering a collaborative and innovative design culture within the organization.

KPIs achieved

Customer Satisfaction: Achieved a 20% increase in customer satisfaction scores through intuitive design improvements.
User Error Rates: Reduced user error rates by 15% by simplifying complex workflows and enhancing usability.
User Engagement: Increased user engagement metrics by 25% through improved navigation and more engaging interface designs.
Task Completion Rates: Boosted task completion rates by 18%, making it easier for users to accomplish their goals within the software.

My work at aifora not only enhanced the usability and functionality of the AI-driven software but also contributed to the company's growth and success by delivering designs that met user needs and exceeded business objectives.

If you have any questions about my work at aifora, feel free to contact me via LinkedIn.

Translation, teaching, counseling

2018 - 2022

During my B.Sc. in Psychology, I worked as a German-English-Japanese translator and taught language courses to students aged 7 to 37. These roles honed my communication skills, cultural sensitivity, and ability to tailor information for diverse audiences.

Additionally, I earned certifications as a counselor and stress manager, and I (still) regularly volunteer as a counselor for nonprofit organizations. These experiences have equipped me with several transferable skills:

Effective Communication: Translating and teaching languages required clear and concise communication, essential for explaining complex concepts in UX design.
Cultural Sensitivity: Working with diverse languages and age groups has enhanced my ability to design user experiences that are inclusive and culturally sensitive.
Empathy and Counseling: My counseling experience has deepened my empathy, enabling me to understand user needs and behaviors more profoundly, a crucial aspect of user-centered design.

These experiences have not only enriched my skill set but also enhanced my ability to create user-friendly designs that cater to a wide range of users.

Switching careers - my motivation to become a UX Designer

My motivation for switching from an executive assistant to a UX designer was to find a career that I truly love, one that merges my passion for technology with my fascination for psychology and human behavior. As an executive assistant, I enjoyed solving complex problems and helping others, but I wanted to make a more creative and lasting impact. UX design offered the perfect blend of creating engaging digital experiences while understanding and empathizing with users' needs and emotions. This field allows me to use my analytical skills and creative thinking to design intuitive products that make people's lives easier and more enjoyable.

Executive Assistant

2010 - 2017

Diverse International Experience and Transferable Skills

Working for companies in Germany, Japan, and New Zealand, I gained a comprehensive understanding of business operations from top management to the operational level. My international experience has equipped me with the ability to effectively communicate with stakeholders at all levels and develop a keen insight into business analytics and marketing strategies.

I have worked with both startups and large corporations across various sectors, including automotive, software, and renewable energy. For instance, I contributed to a solar systems project in Tanzania, collaborated with software teams, and engaged with the automotive industry.

These diverse experiences have provided me with a strong foundation in several key areas:

Stakeholder Communication: I excel at engaging with stakeholders at all levels, ensuring clear and effective communication to align design objectives with business goals.
Business Analytics: My background in business analytics enables me to understand and leverage data to inform design decisions, ensuring that the user experience aligns with business objectives.
Marketing Insights: I have developed a solid understanding of marketing principles, allowing me to create designs that resonate with target audiences and support marketing goals.
Industry Versatility: Having worked in multiple industries, I can quickly grasp the core of any business, which allows me to design solutions that are both relevant and impactful.

My work experience has given me the ability to rapidly understand the essence of a business and create designs that not only meet user needs but also drive business success.