Name: Interviews — FlowMapp
Brand: FlowMapp
Availability: OnlineOnly

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LinkedIn

<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Andrey is an experienced entrepreneur with more than 10 years of experience in design. In 2012 he started a web design agency which became one of Top-100 agencies in Russia. After that, in 2017, he became the CEO of FlowMapp. He plays bass guitar and even traveled with his band to numerous festivals in Poland and Russia. He enjoys being in nature with his wife and son, hiking and kayaking</span></p>

Andrey Severin, CEO and Founder of FlowMapp

<h3>How did you come up with the idea for FlowMapp in the first place?</h3><p>I had an initial idea for this project back in 2014. At that time, my team created numerous websites as an agency, and even then, the idea of ​​a visual sitemap was in the back of my mind. I wanted to simplify work processes and improve communication with our clients. Unfortunately, we didn’t have enough experience to create a high-quality product at that time. But three years later, everything changed. This time we were ready to build and share a valuable tool for UX designers and other professionals. With new team members on board, we started developing a tool that would eventually have 200.000+ users worldwide, known as FlowMapp. The rest, as they say, is history.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://fm-blog-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_1_de53caf716.jpg"><figcaption>Andrey Severin and Paul Mit, FlowMapp founders</figcaption></figure>

<h3>How many people were in the team at the beginning of this journey?</h3><p>At the start, we had a small team consisting of only two developers, two design specialists, one project manager, my co-founder Paul and myself.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The development process was challenging since we had to work on client sites in parallel with the development of the FlowMapp tool. In addition to that, FlowMapp is a bootstrap company, and we did not attract external funding. So we had to pay salaries regularly as well as all our other basic operational expenses. I won’t lie; it was a tough couple of years. But, hey! Now we are here, doing this interview. So, everything turned out great after all.</p>

<h3>What did the first version of FlowMapp look like?</h3><p>As simple as it could be! The main features were designing a sitemap using a collection of covers and writing page descriptions. Then users were able to share a link with colleagues and export the data to PDF. That’s it! Even with such a shortlist of features, we got a lot of positive feedback, which helped us a lot and encouraged us to continue working on the product.</p>

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<p>From FlowMapp’s official <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/flowmapp">Twitter page</a></p>

<h3>What about first customers? How did you find them?</h3><p>Believe it or not, we never actively looked for new clients.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>All we did was announce the launch of FlowMapp on specialized platforms, such as Designer News and Quora. We wrote posts, such as: “Hey, we launched a cool UX tool. Check it out and let us know what you think."</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>After that, word-of-mouth worked for us, which was awesome to see. As ever-evolving specialists, designers are very active online and constantly search for new tools to share with each other. They also often publish reviews on their blogs and post a lot on social media.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>We still get a massive percentage of new users through word-of-mouth marketing practices.</p>

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<p>"Rework" by Jason Fried, David Heinemeier Hansson<br>&nbsp;</p><p>"Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap...and Others Don't"&nbsp;by Jim Collins<br>&nbsp;</p><p>"Screw It, Let's Do It" by Sir Richard Branson</p>

Andrey recommends these books:

<h3>What was the moment you realized the potential demand for FlowMapp?</h3><p>We received the first few reviews and had a couple of sales even before the official launch, so I had a gut feeling that everything was going to work out early on.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>As we were getting ready for a product launch, I wrote tons of tweets on our official Twitter account because I didn't want to launch with blank social media pages. <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/jydesign">James Young,</a> a famous design expert, saw one of the posts and retweeted it to his feed. After that, we saw a rapid growth in our user base and made our first sales.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><figure class="image"><img src="https://fm-blog-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com/img_4_1_f3cc8237ac.jpg"><figcaption>From Paul’s <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://twitter.com/pmitu/status/1349713168596148224">Twitter page</a></figcaption></figure>

<p>It took some time before we realized where people were coming from. So even with a far-from-perfect product, we recognized a great demand for such tools.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I think this trend is even more noticeable now because, after FlowMapp’s release, many similar services have appeared that copy our fundamental ideas and features. Some of them even look identical to us, but I won’t mention any names.</p>

<h3>FlowMapp users often ask this question on social media, so I have to ask: why haven't we seen a product update this year?&nbsp;</h3><p>This is a difficult question for me and the whole team, to be honest. For the first three years, the product has developed rapidly and expanded with new functionality. The team grew consistently. At the same time, we had a backlog of technical tasks so big that they simply had to be dealt with.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>When the pandemic began, we realized that we needed to improve the platform’s collaborative features for remote teams. Furthermore, our old technology stack restrained us from implementing new ideas, so we made it a priority to improve this situation. We approached the challenge head-on and started rewriting the platform practically from scratch.</p>

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<h3>During the development stage of FlowMapp 2.0, the team implemented a lot of new updates on the platform. Could you specify the fundamental changes in FlowMapp 2.0 from its last version?&nbsp;</h3><p>You’re right; we’ve made a lot of improvements to the platform. I’m not sure if the technical side will be interesting for our readers, so let me tell you about the changes that users will notice while working with the platform.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><ol><li>FlowMapp will become more intuitive and easy-to-use;</li><li>We’ve improved UX and debugged it;</li><li>We’ve also significantly improved collaboration features;</li><li>We have completely modernized the design so that it meets current trends in the industry and, most importantly, the expectations of our users. FlowMapp 2.0 looks organic among trendsetters and market leaders.</li><li>And, of course, we laid the foundation for the next set of significant changes in the future (spoiler: we’ve started working on one of the most anticipated features - Wireframes).</li></ol>

What are your favorite tools for a productive work?

I know, I'm not too creative with this one, but I use standard Notes on iOS for short notes

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Notes

Notion helps me structure important information about product and processes in the company

Notion

FlowMapp

<h3>Wow! I’m excited for users who will try it out very soon! Could you share more details about the collaborative features that were anticipated by FlowMapp users?</h3><p>I can’t give out everything, as you know. But I can share this:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><ul><li>First, we replaced Teams with <strong>Workspaces</strong>. Workspaces will straighten the project management system in the product.</li><li>A <strong>Personal workspace</strong> is automatically created for each user by default regardless of their plan. For project teams starting from the Team plan, we’ve added the option to create a Team Workspace, invite other users, and manage their permissions. This feature will help teams organize workflows and demonstrate intermediate outcomes to clients.</li></ul>

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<p>FlowMapp 2.0. Personal workspace page</p>

<ul><li><strong>Collaboration</strong> will become more effective. For example, users will be able to see their colleagues in the project online and see what they are working on. It will allow people to work more productively by swiftly joining forces and adding necessary changes. They will also be able to leave comments almost anywhere in the project, which will help teams stay on the same page.</li></ul>

<h3>Which new feature are you proudest of in the FlowMapp 2.0 release?</h3><p>Text editor! I think our team has created one of the best editors in the design tool market. It is not perfect yet, but give us a couple of months to get there.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Also, many people asked us to make it possible to create several different Sitemaps within one project. And we listened! From FlowMapp 2.0, our users will be able to do this and speed up their work processes by working with several sitemaps within one project.</p>

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<h3>What advice would you give to young designers?</h3><p>Learn about new technologies and be more observant. Watch what top designers are doing and try to do the same. Practice. Practice that an infinite number of times. At some point, you will realize that you are creating many cool things automatically, and you will be able to add your own style to it.</p>

<h3>There’s only one question left. What are you planning to do next?</h3><p>Celebrate the release of FlowMapp 2.0 with the team, of course! Relax for a couple of days with my family. After that, we will focus on releasing wireframes.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>We plan to release new features much faster than before, so <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://flowmapp.com">stay tuned</a>!</p>

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An interview with CEO of FlowMapp about FlowMapp 2.0

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Andrey Severin

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<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">FlowMapp 2.0 is almost here! For this interview, we invited a special guest, Andrey Severin, a CEO of FlowMapp, to take a look behind a curtain of the development process, spill the tea on Sitemap and Teams updates, and reveal (several) new and exciting FlowMapp’s features</span></p>

The Road to FlowMapp 2.0

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Medium

<p>Long is a Product Designer with 5+ years of experience. A dedicated and innovative leader with a knack for integrating user insights to tackle complex problems, she strives to create meaningful experiences that delight users and drive business growth.</p>

Long Hung, Product Designer at Goldman Sachs

<h3>Please tell us a bit about your background in design</h3><p>I’m a Product Designer with 5+ years of product design experience. ​In my current role, I work as a senior designer at Goldman Sachs. Previously, I have led designs for the award-winning mobile apps SongPop 2 and SongPop Live at FreshPlanet. I’m experienced in working with various startups to transform their missions into products and better experiences. My clients span several industries including finance, social, nonprofit, sportswear and gaming. My work has been recognized in the Webby Awards 2020 and Core77.</p>

I would say design awards could be part of your story when you talk to recruiters

<h3>Do you remember how you first discovered design competitions?</h3><p>Design competitions are young designers' or design students' entry tickets to the professional world. They can pay a cheaper entry fee and use their concept design to enter design competitions.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Senior college students in Taiwan can enroll their graduation projects in the Taiwan Young Designer’s Awards. My graduation project (teammate: Yuhao Chiu) got Bronze awards for industrial design and was exhibited at Taiwan World Design Expo.</p>

<h3>Wow! How did they help you get noticed by recruiters?</h3><p>Honestly, it didn’t help me get noticed by recruiters because it’s not an international competition. I would say design awards could be part of your story when you talk to recruiters.</p>

Product or graphic designers are not like architects that have a license to prove their ability. If young professionals need to be seen, design competitions are a badge for them to prove their ability and skills

<h3>That’s an interesting concept. In what other ways did they help you enhance your design skill set?</h3><p>Young designers have lots of different concepts and ideas they want to try out. Design competitions are the ways for them to prove their ideas and sharpen their presentation skills by showing solutions and prototypes.</p>

<h3>Why do you think design competitions have become so popular among young professionals in recent years?</h3><p>Product designers or graphic designers are not like architects that have a license to prove their ability. If young professionals need to be seen, design competitions are some kind of a badge for them to prove their ability and skills, as well as showcase their projects or products.</p>

<h3>What other ways do recent grads have that help them showcase design skills? Please name at least two.</h3><ol><li>Build up your portfolio;</li><li>Prepare to be ready to present your works;</li><li>Reach out to people spontaneously like using ADPList to schedule calls with mentors;</li><li>Ask for feedback and suggestions.</li></ol><p>&nbsp;</p><p>For more details about building a great Design Portfolio, read our <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.flowmapp.com/blog/design-interviews/jens-nielsen">interview with Jens Nielsen</a>, a Senior Digital Product Designer at the LEGO Group and an experienced CSS Design Awards Judge.</p>

<h3>What does the preparation process for design competitions look like?</h3><p>I didn’t design any products for competitions. It’s more like I found out that the projects from class or apps from companies might fit in these competitions’ categories.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If I feel that my work matches the competitions’ goal, I will start to write design proposals and concepts and prepare the key experiences or the hero shots of products to participate in the competitions.&nbsp; In order to be more prepared, I suggest you go through all the previous winners, analyze what or why they win and apply all these tips and tricks to your submission.</p>

<h3>It sounds very exciting! But what about rejections that come with participation in design competitions, do you have any tips for handling them?</h3><p><strong>Getting rejections doesn’t mean you are bad</strong>. They are not criticizing you as a person. Your ideas or solutions might not be the best ones for that time, and that is okay.</p>

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<ul><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(60,64,67);">Core77</span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(60,64,67);">Adobe Design Awards</span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(60,64,67);">RedDot</span></li><li><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(60,64,67);">Any international competition matches your major</span></li></ul>

Long recommends these competitions: 

<h3>In your article on Medium, you mention a series of unfortunate events that happened to you while applying for schools, jobs and visas. What helped you stay motivated during that time?</h3><p>I spent three years applying to grad school. After I finally graduated, I could only find one job with a pretty low wage and employers didn’t want to sponsor my visa. During that time, I was exhausted and depressed. I really wanted to prove to myself that I could survive in New York.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I tried everything that I could do to stay afloat. I’m grateful that I got help from many people at that time. They helped me with documents, wrote recommendation letters and sometimes just checked in on me.</p>

<h3>I also read about your O-1 visa. Congrats! Many people believe that it's extremely difficult to get an O-1 visa. Any tips for those who want to apply for O-1 in the near future?</h3><p>I can’t give too many recommendations but I can say that joining design competitions, participating in design conferences as a speaker and showcasing my works in exhibitions were the keys to my application for O-1.</p>

<h3>Could you tell me a bit about the project that got you Webby Awards 2020?</h3><p>SongPop Live was a live music trivia game app. The app launched in Canada and the United States in October 2019. SongPop Live combined host-lead player interaction with real-world cash prizes. This game app is accessible to everyone and everywhere.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Before launching, we ran hundreds of test shows with testers and hosts. Passionate players loved the game and shared social media posts about the intensity of the competition.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Our team was really excited about winning the People’s Voice Winner in the Games &amp; Puzzle category for the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://winners.webbyawards.com/2020/games/general-games/puzzle-and-trivia/129887/songpop-live">2020 Webby Awards</a>.</p>

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<h3>Looking back now, do you think it helped you get a job at Goldman Sachs?</h3><p>Winning an award might add a few points. However, it’s not necessary. It’s how you present your work and why the team made those design decisions.</p>

<h3>What are your go-to applications and tools for a productive workflow?&nbsp;</h3><p>Notion, Google Sheets, Google Documents and Figma.</p>

<h3>How do you think design competitions will evolve in the next 10 years?&nbsp;</h3><p>Each year it’s getting easier to apply but harder to win any prizes. I think this trend will continue to evolve.</p>

<h3>Any final tips for young designers who want to make a career in the design industry?</h3><p>Reach out to people, understand their problems, brainstorm, create hypotheses, make prototypes and don’t forget to test out your solutions.&nbsp;</p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If you want to tell a story about your career or share your expert opinion, send us a pitch at <a href="mailto:serafima@flowmapp.com">serafima@flowmapp.com</a></p>

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Our guest, Long Hung, a Product Designer at Goldman Sachs, talks about design competitions and winning Webby Awards 2020

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Long Hung – FlowMapp

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<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#000000;">Design competitions, when done right, can be a great opportunity for young designers to showcase their talents and start building a professional network in the industry. Our guest today, Long Hung, a Product Designer at Goldman Sachs, has started participating in design contests at university. She </span><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0e101a;">sat down with us to talk about getting into design contests, winning Webby Awards 2020, as well as which contests to consider if you feel ready to join the race.</span></p>

Design Competitions: 3 Reasons to Try Them Out from a Webby Awards 2020 Winner

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Long Hung

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Website

Twitter

<p>Niya Watkins is a Senior UX Designer at National Geographic Society, based in Washington, DC. She combines user research and visual design to create digital products for National Geographic Explorers.</p>

Niya Watkins, Senior UX Designer at National Geographic Society

<h3>Niya, please tell us a bit about yourself and your experience in the design industry.</h3><p>I am a UX/UI designer born and raised in Washington, DC. I studied International Affairs with concentrations in the Middle East/North Africa and Sociocultural Anthropology at George Washington University. Currently, I work as a Senior UX Designer at the National Geographic Society. In my role, I combine user research and visual design to create digital products that facilitate the work and amplify the impact of National Geographic’s community of funding recipients, also known as Explorers. In my free time, I love to travel, study languages and scour the internet for vintage artwork.</p>

<h3>As far as I know, design is not your first career. You previously worked at the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions as an Operations Specialist. Could you describe why you chose that path in the first place?</h3><p>Traveling has always been a huge part of my life, and even as a child, I loved learning about and being immersed in other cultures. Aside from that, DC is a huge melting pot of people from everywhere. By middle school, I knew I wanted a career that would allow me to travel the world and make a positive impact, so I naturally gravitated to the diplomatic career track.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The thing about me is that once I set my mind to something, I narrow in on that goal. So I landed my first gig at the Department of State after graduating from high school. I interned there for the duration of college and started working there full-time after I received my degree.</p>

No matter how well-intentioned, the opinions of others can become noise that distracts you from your goal

<h3>Do you remember the moment you realized your future lies in design? Did you have prior experience in design?</h3><p>It was all pretty random. One day, a family friend happened to mention UX design to me and it sounded so interesting, I decided to do some research. I don’t know how to explain it, but as soon as I discovered UX, I just knew I was meant to pursue it. Ironically, while I had explored the arts as a hobby, I also had a perception that being in a creative field meant I would struggle financially.&nbsp;<br>&nbsp;</p><p>I never had much exposure to people in creative industries growing up, so I never really considered it as a serious option. I remember being so amazed to find a career that combined so many of my interests: visual design, technology and anthropology. I’m an overthinker, so it’s kind of wild to reflect on how easy it was to decide to quit my job and switch careers.</p>

<h3>How did you find the courage to switch from a ‘safe’ and ‘grown-up’ job to the design industry? What helped you?</h3><p>I left the government after the transition from the Obama Administration to the Trump Administration, and it’s no secret that it was a chaotic time at the State Department. There was a hiring freeze that made it almost impossible to switch positions or get promoted, plus a lot of people I looked up to left the agency during that period. I think in that kind of environment, you start questioning what words like ‘safe’ and ‘grown-up’ even mean. UX started looking better and better after I discovered that it pays well and can be learned through a bootcamp. The government was not where I was supposed to be at that time, so I decided to take a leap of faith.</p>

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<ul><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nngroup.com/"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(60,64,67);">Nielsen Norman Group</span></a></li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.a11yproject.com/"><span style="background-color:rgb(255,255,255);color:rgb(60,64,67);">The A11y Project</span></a></li></ul>

Niya recommends these resources for design best practices:

<h3>What issues did you have to face socially/economically/psychologically during six months after quitting the job at the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions?</h3><p>I was very fortunate to have a very supportive partner at the time who really helped me ride the wave of emotional and financial uncertainty during that period. He even moved in with me so that my savings would last longer and I wouldn't have to give up the co-op I lived in. I am forever grateful for the people who supported me along the way because without them the transition would have been difficult, if not impossible.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Still, it was quite tough on me psychologically. Mind you, I had been consistently employed since I was 16, so to be 25 without a job often felt like a failure. As much support as I had around me, there were still people who questioned why I would leave my ‘good government job’ with no real sense of where I was headed or if I’d be successful. I think it was during that time I realized no matter how well-intentioned, the opinions of others can become noise that distracts you from your goal. ‘Move in silence’ became my personal slogan during those 6 months.</p>

<h3>What else helped you stay motivated and calm during that time?</h3><p>I tried my best to keep up a schedule, work out and eat healthily. Those habits gave me a sense of control and balance. There were many days when I was glued to my computer completing my Designlab course work, so I would set timers to make sure I was stretching and getting fresh air. In those moments when doubt started to creep into my mind, I would find articles or podcasts about designers who had successfully transitioned from other industries.</p>

I honestly did not believe it was a real job interview until I was physically at the National Geographic headquarters

<h3>How did you land a job at National Geographic?</h3><p>It was a pretty unique circumstance. After I completed Designlab, I submitted my portfolio to Toptal — a website that showcases design portfolios — and somehow it ended up in an email newsletter that my current manager reads. He invited me to interview for a contract role shortly thereafter. I honestly did not believe it was a real job interview until I was physically at the National Geographic headquarters.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The whole thing lasted a few hours, with multiple rounds of speed interviews where I walked members of the Digital Team through my case studies. I had 15 minutes to complete a design challenge on the spot, which I then presented to the team. I received an offer the next day, and the rest is history.</p>

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<p style="text-align:center;">NIYA WITH COLLEAGUES AND AT HER WORKSTATION. FROM NIYA’S ARCHIVES</p>

<h3>How did National Geographic help you adapt to the completely new work environment?</h3><p>From day one, my manager Luke had me creating diagrams, flows and interview scripts for Explorers. It was a little stressful, but it was a great way to be onboarded because I was immersed in the world of my users right from the start. In the first week, we set up a meet and greets with all of my stakeholders who gave me a sense of what the overall vision was for Explorers and funding opportunities at the Society. I also had a Google Drive full of strategy documents, designs and user research to get me caught up to speed.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The first few months at Nat Geo challenged me to confront my imposter syndrome and desire for perfectionism. I had no clue what I was doing, and I learned to be okay with that!</p>

<h3>How do you like WFH and hybrid work styles?</h3><p>The silver lining of the pandemic is that I was able to realize my dream of being a digital nomad. I’m a permanent remote worker, and it’s been amazing!</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I miss hanging out with coworkers and getting the latest issue of the magazine delivered to my desk, but I am much more productive from home. My colleagues are a fun bunch with a lot of interesting conversations, which is a gift and a curse when you’re in an open workspace.</p>

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<p>Nat Geo office. Photo from Niya’s archive</p>

<h3>What skills did you have to learn and improve in the first year of working as a UX specialist?</h3><p>The most important and difficult skill I had to learn was asking questions. I call myself an extroverted introvert, but as a UX designer, you have to be an extrovert all the time — with your users, your stakeholders and your developers.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>Coming from the State Department where there’s a clear chain of command, I was not accustomed to being in a position to speak up and ask questions, especially not with leadership. Separately, Designlab did a great job of preparing me for a career in design, although I only had a few months' worth of design training under my belt and there were gaps in knowledge on the UI front. I knew how to use tools like Sketch and Figma, but it was at Nat Geo that I learned how to create designs to spec, how to work with a design system and how to use an agile framework.</p>

It’s a big risk to step away from security, so while I encourage people to pursue their dreams, I completely understand why many people don't

<h3>I saw that your team won the 2021 Webby People’s Voice Award, congrats! Could you tell me a bit more about the project behind it?</h3><p>Thank you! Receiving a Webby award felt like such a personal milestone. The project we worked on is Field Notes, a map-based storytelling platform where National Geographic Explorers share updates about the amazing innovative work they do in the field. I’ve been a fan of Nat Geo photography since I was a kid, so it was an honor to design a product that amplifies that media and the world-changing work that goes hand in hand with it.</p>

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<h3>If you had to describe one of the most significant differences between your current job and your previous work experiences in the political world, what would it be?</h3><p>I would say the biggest difference is who gets a seat at the table.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>In my experience at the Department of State influence was largely determined by age and rank, so as a young woman of color, I had no voice. Also, as with many older institutions, there was a lot of resistance to change and innovation. I was amazed to enter the design space at National Geographic and see how receptive my colleagues were to my ideas and perspective. It was pretty intimidating at first to be taken so seriously, especially by older, more experienced colleagues. The fact that my team and stakeholders not only seek out my input but also encourage me to innovate has given me an incredible sense of empowerment.</p>

<h3>Why do you think there are still so many stereotypes and pressure from people to stay at the ‘desk job’ they might not be passionate about?</h3><p>Wow, this has been on my mind so much lately. I think for many underrepresented groups in this country following your passion is a luxury. It’s a nice idea, but the reality is that a lot of us are just trying to achieve basic stability. So while a desk job may not be the most exciting or fulfilling, it is sufficient. It’s secure. And that goes a long way when you are from a group that has been historically disenfranchised.&nbsp; Even in my own family, that fear of losing what’s been gained is intergenerational.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>It’s a big risk to step away from security, so while I encourage people to pursue their dreams, I completely understand why many people don't.</p>

When aspiring designers reach out to me on Linkedin, sometimes I am tempted to sugarcoat my journey into design, because I don’t want to discourage them from taking the leap. It’s important to be real about the struggles that we have faced as professional

<h3>Can you name helpful books/online courses/other resources for people who want to become designers?</h3><ul><li>First, I have to shout out <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://designlab.com/">Designlab</a>, the online bootcamp that prepared me so well for a design career.</li><li><a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nngroup.com/">Nielson Norman Group</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.a11yproject.com/">The A11y Project</a> are my go-to resources for design and accessibility best practices.</li><li>For BIPOC and women designers, I highly recommend <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://blackswho.design/">Blacks Who Design</a> and <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="http://hexagonux.com/">Hexagon UX</a> Slack communities respectively. Finding communities of designers who understand and relate to my lived experience has been so important in my journey.</li></ul>

<h3>We are approaching the end of this interview. After almost three and a half years working in the design industry, could you say that it all was worth it?</h3><p>100%. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. Having a career where I am constantly growing and learning has improved the quality of my life in every way.</p>

<h3>As professionals in the industry, how can we help a new generation of designers believe in themselves and pursue dream jobs and careers, and not get stuck in the ‘safe zone’?&nbsp;</h3><p>As professionals in the field, we have to resist the urge to be gatekeepers of knowledge. We all had help along the way in our careers, so it’s important to pay it forward and share our experiences. When aspiring designers reach out to me on Linkedin, sometimes I am tempted to sugarcoat my journey into design, because I don’t want to discourage them from taking the leap. It’s important to be real about the struggles that we have faced as professionals. Obstacles and setbacks are a natural part of the process, and the more open we are about that, the more prepared the next generation will be to handle them.</p>

<h3>Any final tips for people who wish to pursue design as their second/third/fourth/fifth career?&nbsp;</h3><p>Try not to get bogged down by the opinions of others. It’s your life, and you know what you’re capable of. <strong>If you wanna make that switch, do it!&nbsp;</strong></p><p>&nbsp;</p><hr><p>&nbsp;</p><p>If you want to tell a story about your career or share your expert opinion, send us a pitch at <a href="mailto:serafima@flowmapp.com">serafima@flowmapp.com</a></p>

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From a desk job to a Senior UX designer. This interview is with Niya, she works at National Geographic and previously was an operational specialist at the Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions. This is her story

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Niya Watkins — FlowMapp

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<p>Safety and stability are often the main selling points of a desk job. In addition, having a big desk or a corner office brings a sense of importance, even now — just like we saw it in the Suits in the 2010s. But sometimes, with great support, relevant knowledge, persistence and a stroke of luck, switching to a more creative role can become a true success story. This interview is with Niya, previously an Operations Specialist at the U.S. Department of State, Office of Foreign Missions, and currently a Senior UX Designer at National Geographic Society, who doesn’t want to sugarcoat her path to design, but tell it like it is — and, maybe, inspire someone to make a change they wanted for a long time.</p>

Significant Career Change: Choosing Passion Over Prestige

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Niya Watkins

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<p>Eva Cochet-Weinandt is&nbsp;a&nbsp;Design Lead, UX&nbsp;Strategist and Mentor focusing on&nbsp;user-centered business innovations and scalable solutions. She works at&nbsp;IBM, leading design teams through transformation and integration projects runs the Design at&nbsp;Scale Meetups and mentors at&nbsp;UX&nbsp;Rescue.</p>

Eva Cochet-Weinandt, Design Lead at IBM

<h3>Hi Eva, please tell us about your experience in digital design</h3><p>I studied communication design and started off my career at a small design studio specializing in scalable visual systems and editorial design for large cultural and education projects. In this context, I engaged in project management to improve our collaboration, workflows and organization structure. My interest in complex projects in the digital field led me to deepen my skills with a master's in multicultural web creation.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>I joined <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ibm.com/design/">IBM</a> as a visual designer, and, driven by my passion for processes and enabling design teams, I soon transitioned into co-leadership roles like Visual Design Lead or DesignOps. Since three years ago, I am the Design Lead for the user experience transformation of the software SPSS Statistics, still focusing on design operations, among other responsibilities. I am also involved with different squads like the recruitment team or the Design and User Experience review panel. Alongside my daily job, I created a meetup with a friend focusing on <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.meetup.com/Design-at-Scale/">Design at Scale</a>; I also mentor design teams for <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.uxrescue.org">UX Rescue</a>.</p>

<h3>Wow! Could you explain in one sentence what DesignOps is?</h3><p>Design Operations, or in short DesignOps, is a practice that emerged in recent years. Its purpose is to serve the needs and challenges of design practitioners in the era of designing at scale. Since it is still an evolving field, you might find different definitions. I like to define DesignOps similarly to the <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.nngroup.com/articles/design-operations-101/#:~:text=Definition%3A%20DesignOps%20refers%20to%20the,growing%20and%20evolving%20design%20teams">Nielsen Norman Group</a>:</p>

It is the orchestration and optimization of processes, practices and people to enable and increase the impact of design values at scale

<p><span style="background-color:transparent;color:#0e101a;">While some companies already have dedicated DesignOps teams, others include this role for large projects, and some simply apply the practice without having a dedicated role.</span></p>

Top-3 software to use in work:

For planning I tend to use Github, since it is a great way to document UX stories with epics, assign work items, and follow the progress

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Github

Mural or Miro for collaboration workshops and work sessions to co-crate on initial concepts, exchange ideas and define priorities

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Miro

DesignOps helps companies orchestrate work processes and build strong and scalable design systems

Eva Cochet-Weinandt

<p>Have you heard of&nbsp;DesignOps? With DesignOps, similarly to&nbsp;DevOps, the processes can be&nbsp;orchestrated by&nbsp;the power of&nbsp;a&nbsp;few dedicated specialists even in&nbsp;giant corporations. We&nbsp;sat down with Eva Cochet-Weinandt, Design Lead at&nbsp;IBM and an&nbsp;experienced DesignOps specialist, to&nbsp;break down the main ideas of&nbsp;DesignOps and its potential to&nbsp;revolutionize design production.</p>

Interviews

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Long Hung

Niya Watkins

Eva Cochet-Weinandt

Marc Leitzel

Katrina Liu

Top-8 Design Trends for 2022

Jens Nielsen

Expectations vs. Reality of 2021

Martin Danty