Online interview - 15 minutes

I think that UX design was a natural choice for me, as it very neatly sits at the intersection of my personal passions. I have always been very much fond of beautiful visual experiences, ranging from fashion to the architecture of cities I have visited. Having traveled around the world extensively, I have always appreciated the visual culture around me.

On the other hand, I am a tech-savvy person, always after some new gadgets such as apple watches, etc. I am also deeply interested in psychology, human behaviour, people's motivations and passions, and I enjoy improving things. I believe that all of these traits led me into being interested in UX. Now I create meaningful experiences through various user interactions with different products.

UX is the user's journey from point A to point B.

Whereas UI is responsible for the design of the graphical part of the interface: animations, illustrations, buttons, menus, sliders, photos and fonts, UX is a design methodology responsible for the function, the adaptability of the product, and the emotions it evokes in users.

Because user experiences are abstract, UX involves learning about their habits, prototyping behaviors, and testing. That's all on me.

The app I admire and use the most according to my 'screen time' statistics since 2013 is Telegram messenger. Apart from the great experience I get when using the app, it clearly reflects user interface principles:

- It is structured in a meaningful and useful way based on clear consistent models.
- Telegram's design looks simple - it communicates clearly in the user's language, making all needed options for a given task visible without distraction and confusion.
- This design keeps me informed of actions, errors, changes of state through familiar, clear, concise, and unambiguous language.

My design process can be separated into 4 key stages:

Research - I am defining the scope of the work.

From not knowing anything about the client, I start off by exploring the business objectives and goals. I am becoming an interim user of the product or service. Then I am filling the missing gaps through independent research of the competitors, similar services and analytical reports. I am learning about the users - their pains, needs, preferences and behaviours, identifying potential barriers and motivators, collecting the findings into customer journey map (CJM).

Brainstorm - I am generating ideas.

Once a problem is clearly stated, I am brainstorming in order to generate as many ideas as possible. I explore all angles and realms, group them into the themes or arrange them hierarchically if needed, crystallising the ideas into the ones that seem most promising. I am also defining the key scenarios and developing them step by step.

Framework - I am building the interface elements.

Using the collected ideas and described scenarios, I create the most appropriate structure that helps users to complete their tasks. I put my hands-on information architecture (IA) as reference point to build the components and screens for a future website or an app. Following my wireframes design, I can focus on the brand message, appropriate colours, fonts and element styles.

Testing - I am eliminating problems and user difficulties.

I am testing the product with real users through the surveys, questionnaires, in-depth interviews, usability-tests and observations. Then I am able to summarise my findings and apply changes to the design, if needed, before it goes into the implementation phase.

* Throughout all stages, I am communicating with the team to share ideas, present findings, define the issues and find the solutions.

I was managing a project for the logistics company at Artdepo, and I was so eager to please them that I told them we could finish the project within 3 weeks. At the time I was sure this was totally achievable, however it took 4 weeks instead, which was upsetting to them. Looking back, I realised I should have been more prudent in providing my estimate to the client. This case made me understand that a client will not get upset as long as you communicate the timeline clearly in advance, but they will be disappointed if you will not deliver what you promised on time.

I learned from this experience and used it to become much better at managing client expectations during the projects I lead. For instance, on the next project with a different client, I designated 5 weeks and we finished in 4. They were absolutely delighted about this.

I find it more helpful to create a mental image of the skills I want to master and the types of projects I would like to complete in 5 years. This includes:

- Solving important problems with good people.
- Using my position and skills to give back to a community in a meaningful way.
- Being fluent in understanding human behaviour, artificial design intellect, ethical design and pop-culture.
- Pursuing master's degree in human behaviour.
- Living a more creative life outside of work, making art and travel around the world.

I believe that communicative collaboration is the best way to achieve great results. By talking through user flows together and mapping them out in a visual prototyping tool, we can clearly define the solutions we prefer and validate them as a team. Moreover, as a UX designer I understand what users want, and how they want to feel doing it. Expectedly, these user messages are supported by user research findings or visual representations of ideas. Therefore, translating them to product managers would provide data needed in order for them to make the right decisions.

In my home town, there is the only book storage store that sells literature in Russian language. Being a regular customer and a UX designer I was upset by experience I was having with their website. I have conducted some customer experience research, interviewed other store visitors, and developed a customised app concept which I then presented to the founders - they were absolutely amazed. Currently, the app is in the development stage. However, I am glad to see how my genuine desire to improve something I care about would enhance the overall experience of clients and help the business grow while attracting more customers.

Typically, in these circumstances, I manage to transfer a dialogue from emotionally destructive to rationally constructive.

I would inquire why, and make sure the client understands that design decisions are not based on subjective opinions, but rather solutions to targeted objectives. Showing examples of similar decisions used by global brands helps client understand it more.

I would take a step back and ask questions to uncover the issues a client may have with the design. Is the client being subjective as in, "I don't like that color?" Through the concrete conversation, I would decompose the problem and understand what exactly client is not happy with - a)... b)... c)...

If needed, I am happy to deliver another concept with the defined changes.

Medium, LS:N Global, Creative Review, Dribble and Behance are my go-to sources. I also follow giant brands like Apple, Google, IBM, Cisco for their design decisions. Out of curiosity, I regularly spend time exploring random websites and apps, exploring what scenarios were developed, how it solves the problem, what does not work or what could be improved - this nurtures my analytical and creative mind.

I am particularly impressed by the Art.Lebedev studio that recently has developed an AI designer genuinely capable of handling complex creative tasks, such as generating completely original logos and creating brand identities based on them.

Apart from the best in the industry, I find my inspiration in people. I carefully listen to their pains, needs, frustrations and wonders, which I perceive as a treasure box full of insights that can be translated into UX design ideas.