Hi
I'm Katya, a curious individual,
UX Designer with a knack for design magic
fuelled by coffee, a love for learning, deep thinking
and problem-solving. Contact Me

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User Experience and Interface Design

Web Development and Design

TL;DR

Some soft skills I picked up along the way from HR, Client Support and Teaching that I believe I leverage very well as a UX Designer

πŸ“ž Communication

I have always worked in people-facing roles, learning to communicate effectively with potential new colleagues, hiring managers, and cross-functional teams. This skill has translated well to UX design, where clear communication is crucial for understanding user needs, collaborating with stakeholders, and presenting design solutions. In UX empathy in communication is particularly important in order to build a product that users can truly resonate with.

πŸ•΅πŸ»β€β™€οΈ Problem-Solving

Problem solving is at the core of any operational role and over the years I have learned to act quickly sometimes on little to no information. For me the key is willingness to dig deep into the issue. I learned to ask the right questions, pay attention to details and be patient in understanding the context of the issue. This desire solve problems is what led me to UX where I can use those skills to solve complex user problems and bridge the gap between technology and humans.

🧐 Research Analysis

I have worked on many projects in Recruiting where I followed an approach similar to User Research in UX. In order to ensure stellar candidate experience, I conducted research via surveys and email communication, gathered data, and analyzed it to take further actions towards process improvement. Similarly, in UX I have carried out user interviews, product tests, benchmarking analysis and user surveys to make informed design decisions.

πŸ‘€ Attention to Detail

The close attention to detail I've had to demonstrate while reviewing resumes, scheduling interviews, and maintaining candidate records has definitely brought out a detail enthusiast in me. This attention to detail has proven a critical skills in UX, where one needs to carefully consider every aspect of the user experience, from visual elements to interaction flows.

And if you thought my use of emojis throughout was unintentional, have a quick listen to the fun podcast below that talks about the origin and use of emojis in business messaging and writing!

Definitely too long to read but here for anyone who gives me the time of day, I appreciate you...

My journey to the world of UX design began a while back when I just started working in recruiting operations. On a daily basis, I was seeing engineers, product managers and designers getting hired and I had no idea what they did or how they came about to be such desirable talent in the industry. I wondered what they studied and how smart they must be to have recruiters chase after them like that! I began to dig further and soon realised that their qualifications were not all that different to mine! Go figure…
I began my experimentation cautiously by dipping a toe into a coding workshop where I built my first simple webpage. With every line of code I wrote, I continued to be amazed at what I was doing. I took a further workshop which started to get more complicated, concepts of usability and colour schemes began to emerge and this is where it got even more interesting for me. I realised that I was more interested in how the user would interact with my new creation and in turn how I can make that experience one they would enjoy to repeat. I began to think about what obstacles they may face throughout their flow and how can I design and build in a way to prevent those obstacles. I started to think about how to strategically build products that would help the user along the journey and so began to look into UX concepts. I also really enjoyed playing around with colours, fonts and button sizes, making sure everything is pixel-perfect and looks good.
This is how I arrived at UX design - a perfect merge of human psychology, technology and design.
I completed an intensive UX Diploma training, which provided me with a solid foundation in user research, wireframing, prototyping, and usability testing. I really fell in love with UX and immersed myself in it, I practiced my Figma skills and did my own pet project research, I read books, I listened to podcasts and followed designers on social media.
However, my learning did not stop there. Recognizing the importance of understanding the technical aspects of the entire product creation process, I also successfully completed a rigorous coding bootcamp. This experience has been incredibly insightful and valuable. I got to see first hand exactly how a UX team would fit into the product creation process from idea generation all the way to deployment. I got to tackle real-life problems and come up with my own solutions as well as work within a UX/Dev union. I played the role of UX designer and front-end developer but the real cherry on top was that I led our small team of three to create a product that I had personally pitched.
To draw a conclusion to this very long spiel, I would like to say, I am eager to continue contributing my passion and skills to crafting smooth, friendly user experiences through purposeful and intuitive designs that solve real human problems. The journey has been one of continuous growth, and I look forward to the exciting challenges and opportunities that lie ahead in this dynamic and ever-evolving field. Don't hesitate to reach out and let's create together!
kat.sitko@gmail.com