We’ve been introducing our team to all of you TalentLMS friends, and it’s time to invite another person to the party.
So, for the next post of our Talent behind TalentLMS series, please welcome our user experience guru and all-around fun-loving gal, Sofia. A round of applause and here we go.
Tell us a little bit about your background, and how you got involved with UI/UX design.
Hey there! I’m Sofia and I’ve been working as a designer for almost two decades now. I studied multimedia computing and today I still use the term “multimedia designer” to annoy my colleagues and friends.
When I took my first steps in the world of visual communication, the Internet and designing for it was a very new thing. So I was very lucky to see it grow and evolve in many ways and, consequently, I evolved with it. I guess you could say that I didn’t get involved with either UI or UX. They got involved with me!
How and when did you start working for Epignosis?
I had been working in eCommerce projects for many consecutive years, so I figured it was time for something different. eLearning is a great field to apply the things I’ve learned through the years and there are also many new things to explore. So, Epignosis seems to be the perfect ground for that.
How do you define UX/design?
I suppose, the concept was always around us, but finally it’s been given a name, and the attention it deserves. You know when you play a game and you suddenly go “WOW, look at what just happened!”. Wonderful moment, isn’t it?
Well, you encounter cool moments in everything around you. The secret is they don’t just happen. There are people whose job is to meticulously think, do research, analyze, plan, coordinate, test and finally implement quality interactions. Sounds like the Truman Show.
What’s the difference between UI and UX design?
UX Design refers to the term User Experience Design, while UI Design means User Interface Design. UX design is a cognitive science that aims to connect business requirements with user needs in the most satisfying way possible. It’s about people, behavior and feelings.
UI design is a strictly digital practice that is responsible for guiding the user to getting to know your product, comfortably and effortlessly through a visual environment. To create such an environment you need to be well rounded in interaction design, visual communication principles, aesthetic balance – the list is really long really, so I’ll stop here.
Both UI and UX require technical and analytical skills and endless hours of continuous education and they both have one goal in common: to make any product, digital or not, enjoyable to the point where you can’t live without it.
Could you name some apps or websites that you love?
I love Duolingo. I’m hooked for real. I’m learning Norwegian at the moment and I’m having lots of fun. I already know 489 words – thank you very much! I also use Twitter, I like reading posts at medium.com and I’m a happy Google+ user, quite possibly the only one.
If you hadn’t followed your current path, what other career would you have pursued?
I’d be one of those rangers that protect animals from hunters. The innumerable hours I’ve invested on Starcraft and Counter-Strike education, would finally come in handy. Either that, or I’d be a pit-stop mechanic. Mind you, that both of those excellent career paths require research, strategy and flawless execution.
What do consider to be your best buy ever?
Oh, I’m proud of my road bicycle! It’s the perfect cure for the blues, you get to know your city better, you meet new friends, you get to be silly if you like, and most of all, riding a bike in Athens constantly reminds you that “Goonies never say die”.
How do you start your day at the office?
I try to avoid all human interaction, until I get at least one sip of coffee in me. Then I read some news, check out new website launches, prepare my to-do list for the day and head on to Balsamiq and Photoshop.
Last, but not least, how do you like working at Epignosis? Where do you see yourself, and the platform, in 5 years?
Epignosis somehow manages to be laid back and focused at the same time. Not an easy thing to achieve! I love working with software developers and I find it very challenging to tweak the little (or not so little) things that make a difference in a product.
In 5 years from now, the platform will be even easier to use and hopefully a little more fun. Watch out for easter eggs, people!
As for myself, I’ll still be learning, I suppose.
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