How my childhood curiosity laid the foundation for my career as a UX Designer.

When I was a young child, I had an insatiable curiosity about how things worked. Whether it was a toy car or a household appliance, I wanted to understand the mechanics behind its flawless performance. As I grew older, my inquisitive nature only intensified, particularly when I was gifted with a new toy such as a remote-controlled car, watch or even a television set. I couldn't resist the urge to take it apart and study every component, marveling at the intricate details that made it tick.

While my parents may have found my behavior exasperating, my fascination with discovering how things worked only grew stronger. I relished the challenge of putting the pieces back together, sometimes with success, and other times not. But each time, I learned valuable lessons that helped me understand the inner workings of these complex machines.

Little did I know that these childhood experiences would lay the foundation for my career path as a User Experience Designer. Today, I am grateful for those moments of curiosity that ignited a passion within me to explore the mechanics behind everything I encounter, and to create new and better experiences for people to interact with technology.

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How My Early Experiments Helped Shape My Path.

During my school days, I had a Dell OptiPlex Pentium II computer that I used for all sorts of experiments. I would install every game I could get my hands on from the CD store, but when I grew tired of gaming, I turned to other software programs like Photoshop and Illustrator, even though they ran super slowly on my Windows XP operating system due to a lack of memory. But I was undeterred; I was determined to learn designing no matter what it took.

Things really took off when I got a Pentium 4 computer from my father as a gift for my exceptional exam performance in high school. It was like a dream come true, and I wasted no time in scaling up my experiments. I grew bored with Windows and began to explore other options. It was then that a friend told me about Ubuntu, an open-source operating system that offered a range of customization options.

I was immediately intrigued and ordered free compact discs with Ubuntu, Kubuntu, and Edubuntu operating systems. When they arrived, I couldn't wait to try them out. I installed Ubuntu on my new computer, which I had to share with my sister and parents, without worrying about the risk of losing important files. I was simply too curious to check out this new operating system.

From the moment I installed Ubuntu, I fell in love with its capabilities and customization options. I used it extensively on that computer until I eventually got a new one. However, I had to install Windows as a second operating system to enable my sister and parents to use the computer too. Despite this, my journey with Ubuntu had kickstarted my learning curve, and I was more determined than ever to explore new horizons in the world of technology.

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Volunteering Design in school projects.

At the same time, I also worked on several volunteer projects where I supplied design assets for the classroom and events held in school. Back in those days, with a lack of digital media and social networks, print design was the primary medium for information interchange.

I designed flyers, leaflets, timetables, and even cleaning charts with the help of software programs like Photoshop, Illustrator, and Corel Draw. The positive feedback I received from teachers and colleagues about my creativity gave me a huge boost in confidence as a designer and encouraged me to continue doing what I love.

As I look back on those days, I realize that my passion for design and technology was taking root and growing with each new project. Little did I know then that these experiences would shape my future and lead me on a path towards becoming a User Experience Designer.

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From Print to Pixels.

After finishing school, I was fortunate enough to land several designing projects from different companies. Most of these projects were print design-related, where I was tasked with creating flyers, magazines, and informative print materials to share among students. Although I was excited to take on these projects, it was a challenging time as I had to balance my work with my studies.

One of the biggest projects I undertook during those days was to create a Psychology magazine called ‘InPsych,’ alongside a bunch of editors who were enthusiastic about psychological subjects. Working on this magazine helped me to upscale my designing journey and allowed me to explore my creativity in a whole new way.

The editorial team provided me with the content, and I managed to create a visually appealing interface with the use of different colors, typefaces, and white space. I was thrilled with the result, and when the magazine was released, it went on to sell over a thousand copies, exceeding everyone's expectations. It was a proud moment for the entire team, and it helped to solidify my passion for design and publishing. Working with that team opened my eyes to the fascinating world of psychology, and I was able to learn so much about the subject while designing the magazine. Looking back, it was a pivotal moment in my journey towards becoming a User Experience Designer.

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Career growth as a UI/UX designer, emphasizing the importance of user-centered design, empathizing with users, conducting user research, and aligning business goals with user needs.

As I delved deeper into my career as a UI/UX designer and web developer, my passion for designing clean, usable interfaces and user experiences only grew stronger. It all started when I landed a job creating a website for a company that aimed to connect students seeking international study opportunities with education counsellors. As I began to research the target audience, I realized how important it was to empathize with users and truly understand their needs and pain points.

Drawing on my background in psychology and design psychology, I conducted user research by interviewing students, gathering analytics data, and developing personas with my team members. With these insights, we were able to ideate and create scenarios for various user personas, using storyboards and paper prototypes to test our ideas and refine our designs.

Throughout the project, I remained focused on aligning the company's business goals with the expectations and needs of our target audience. And by leveraging the power of user-centered design, we were able to create interfaces that users loved to interact with while achieving the company's objectives.

Looking back on this experience, I can see how my early interest in tinkering with technology and exploring how things work laid the foundation for my later success as a UI/UX designer. And as I continue to push the boundaries of what's possible in this exciting field, I remain committed to always putting users first and designing experiences that truly make a difference in their lives.

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My Experience Improving User Experience for a Sales Force Automation Software.

After working in education consultation, I was ready for a new challenge, which led me to a Colombo-based software firm that specialized in sales force automation software. It was a whole new ball game for me, but my previous experience and practices helped me hit the ground running. My task was to work with their biggest client to improve the user experience of their sales force mobile application, which was used by salespeople working in the field.

To begin with, I looked at the initial user data that the team had collected to gain an insight into the problems at hand. However, I quickly realized that the data was not enough to continue the process. So, I and the team began conducting new user interviews and visited places where salespeople used the product to understand their pain points. One of the most significant problems we found was the screen brightness. In the field where there is a lot of sunlight, the interface of the application is hard to see. Users themselves provided solutions, such as making the font size bigger, reducing user interactions, using iconography, and so on. But as I analyzed the user data with the main pain point, I understood that the current UI, which had a white background and blue color accent, was not helping the situation.

During the process, we created different personas for all the people we interviewed. Then came the ideation process, where I introduced my idea of creating a dark background with contrasting white texts and icons. This solution addressed the contrast issue faced by salespeople, and everyone was excited about the idea and wanted to check it out in the next release of the application.

The next stage of the process was to create scenarios and storyboards. We took different scenarios with different users and created many storyboards, which gave the team a chance to narrow them down to a working set. Finally, we built a prototype to do usability testing with selected representative users to make sure we were on the right track to develop the best solution for their problems.

Once again, taking the whole process of UX without skipping any part helped in achieving the project goals in time with great success. The entire team realized the importance of a user-centered application that addressed all the issues users faced. The project was a resounding success, and I was thrilled to be a part of it.

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Designing a High-Performance Gaming Platform for a New York-Based (Remote) Startup

I then had the opportunity to work with a New York-based client on their online gaming platform. Compared to the previous projects I had worked on, this was by far the most challenging one. Gaming had always been a passion of mine since childhood, so I was thrilled to work on this project wholeheartedly. It was my first experience working with a startup, and I gained a wealth of hands-on experience in the UX and Frontend development domains.

The target users for this project were a completely different demographic from what I had worked with before. The application aimed to run computer games on mobile devices with minimal latency, making the users somewhat tech-savvy and always seeking high performance. During the initial stages of the beta version, the app was plagued with lagging and accessibility issues, leading to numerous complaints from users on subreddit and feedback forms. I was part of the initial team, which consisted of the founder (who was a developer himself), another developer, and me as the designer. I worked tirelessly to collect data about the users and the current application. From my research, I discovered that the goal of users was to play games smoothly with minimum latency, even on devices with basic performance. The pain points they faced were mainly due to the lack of usability of the application.

The developers did an excellent job of reducing the streaming latency, but a smooth user experience was necessary to make users feel that they were receiving prompt responses to their interactions. We created personas of different users, ranging from high-end phones to very low-end device users, as well as avid gamers to new people who just tried out the platform for the first time. We then discussed the data gathered with the team members and analyzed the feedback we received from forums to align with the project's goals.

We brainstormed multiple possible solutions to address the pain points and created scenarios and scoreboards to understand different user journeys, narrowing down the working set. The prototypes we built were sent for A/B testing, and the usability of the new version received overwhelmingly positive responses compared to the old one. We continued to improve the application's performance and usability to provide what users asked for. Eventually, the project was acquired by one of the leading retailer stores in the US to create their own version of the platform, a testament to the project's success. Overall, this was an incredible experience that allowed me to hone my skills and deliver a product that exceeded user expectations.

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Developing User-Centered Applications: My Experience Working on Projects at a Leading Software Firm

When I landed my next job, I was thrilled to be joining one of the largest software firms in Sri Lanka. The company boasted multiple products that were being used by a diverse range of users worldwide, so I knew that I was in for a challenging and exciting ride. Over the course of my tenure, I had the opportunity to work on two different projects that required a great deal of research, user experience optimisation, and attention to detail.

The first project I was involved in was the development of an analyser that was designed to crunch data for specific events, such as elections and football games. The system used previous statistics to predict the output and provide end-users with detailed reports to follow. My role in the project was to work as a UX and Visual Designer to ensure that the research outcomes of the project met the end-user goals in a more visually appealing way. The second project was an aviation solution for a Middle Eastern client, which also required a lot of research and design work. Once again, my role was to ensure that the research outcomes met the end-user goals in the most appealing way possible.

Throughout both projects, I was involved in the process of gathering data from multiple channels. This included conducting online interviews with end-users, clients, and stakeholders, as well as analysing user statistics and behaviour in current applications using analytics platforms such as Hotjar and Google Analytics. Thorough analysis helped the team to understand different pain points and user goals in the applications.

For example, in the predictor application, we discovered that there were unnecessary roadblocks preventing users from achieving their goals smoothly. All they wanted to do was add two inputs and get the results quickly and accurately. Similarly, in the aviation application, the end-users were airline staff who needed to be able to add passenger data smoothly to their backend systems. The frontend console had to be capable of handling simultaneous user inputs smoothly in order to ensure that data could be added to the system accurately and quickly.

To address these issues, we created personas to help with the ideation process for both applications. This involved all team members creating multiple possible solutions and creating scenarios and storyboards based on the input from the personas. The prototypes we built were then sent to representative users, and we observed them in action in their desired work setting. This process continued until we addressed all possible user issues and released the applications to the market, which met both the end-user goals and the business goals of the company. Overall, my experience at the company was both challenging and rewarding, and I felt proud to have been a part of such an innovative and dedicated team.

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UX Designer and Manager: Navigating a Multidisciplinary Company

My current job is a whole new experience for me. Together with friends I met during my career, we formed a company where I now have to take on the role of not only a UX designer and frontend developer but also a manager, leading the company's vision and strategy. Managing a team of designers and developers to ensure the high quality of our products is the most challenging aspect of my new role.

We primarily receive projects from clients based in Singapore and the US, covering a range of disciplines including Fin-tech, Blockchain, Marketing, Healthcare, and more. With every project, I follow the fundamental principles I learned as a UX designer and put them into practice to deliver the best solutions for the users of our products.

Having exposure to different companies and disciplines has helped me to be open-minded about any task at hand and ensure that the products we deliver align with user expectations and desires while also meeting our clients' business goals. My new leadership role in the company has allowed me to expand my interpersonal skills, including communication, mentoring, and creating a positive working culture within the company.

Working with my friends has been a unique experience, and I have learned a lot about managing a team and taking responsibility for our business. It's a challenging and rewarding journey, and I am excited to see what the future holds for our company.

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Seeking New Challenges

I am highly motivated to contribute to the success of the companies I work with in the future. With a passion for design and a dedication to keeping up-to-date with industry trends, I am committed to bringing the maximum value to any team I am a part of.

My experience working with clients from various industries has helped me develop a deep understanding of user needs and business objectives. As a designer, I am committed to creating innovative and user-centric solutions that not only meet but exceed these needs and objectives.

In addition to my design skills, I am also a dedicated team player who values communication and collaboration. I believe in fostering a positive and productive work environment where everyone's ideas are valued and respected.

My ultimate goal is to leverage my skills and experience to make a meaningful impact on the success of the companies I work with. I am excited to take on new challenges, learn from others, and contribute my expertise to create products that delight users and drive business growth

• Image credits: https://blush.design/