1. Filip, what does a typical day look like for you in the role of a UX & UI designer? Do you have any routine that you follow every day?
I'm a fan of routines because they free up mental space for creativity. To start my day, I seek inspiration and motivation, often by watching a YouTube video or reading an article about UX/UI during breakfast. This habit not only gets me in the right mindset for work but also keeps me updated with industry trends.
Next, I go through my morning checklist. It's a simple set of tasks like making tea, checking my calendar, reviewing emails, and planning out my day. Having this list ensures I don't overlook anything, like an important meeting.
Once I've completed these basics, I'm ready to dive into work with the motivation from my morning routine. My job can be broken into three main activities: Collaboration — discussing product improvements and implementation with colleagues; Design — visualizing and testing our ideas; and Coding — translating designs into code.
2. What do you enjoy most about your work, and conversely, what is something that you sometimes find challenging?
What I enjoy most about my work is the ability to really see what I do. I can see the transformation from complex project definitions into simple, user-friendly interfaces. I also enjoy the balance between logic and creativity that UX/UI design demands. It’s a diverse field that keeps me engaged and constantly learning.
As for challenges, naming conventions are a big one. Proper naming is key to creating intuitive user interfaces, but it can be tricky, especially when you're dealing with multiple user roles that have different perspectives on the same feature. You need to find naming that makes sense to everyone or decide if it's better to use different naming for different user roles which can lead to another tricky decisions.
3. Is there an approach to projects at Navmatix, specifically regarding UX and UI, that you think you do differently than other companies? Do you have a preferred process you typically follow when working on these projects?
I don't think our approach to UX/UI design is different from other companies, but our design handoff process to developers is quite unique. I convert all design system components and designs into React code, which helps bridge the gap between design and development. This method addresses issues that design tools might be too time-consuming to capture, like responsiveness and simple animations. Additionally, it minimizes implementation issues that can arise from a design not aligning with technical constraints.
I generally follow the double diamond (DD) process, which I would interpret as understanding, defining, developing, testing & fine-tuning. It doesn't matter whether you're working on a large project or a small task, or what your role in the project is. If you follow this principle, you can be confident that you're heading in the right direction. Another key principle for me is to focus on the big picture before getting into the finer details. It sounds simple, but I often catch myself needing a reminder to stick to this.
To illustrate part of my workflow in practice, consider the following scenario. We've already explored and defined all the key aspects of the new product during the first two phases of the DD process, and it's time to start designing. Now I re-apply the DD process. I ensure that I thoroughly understand what we’ve defined and identify the key elements that are crucial for the UI. Then before I touch any design tool, I describe the structure of the UI in the text. Bash syntax highlighting allows me to visually distinguish pages, objects, attributes, buttons, and other elements, all without having to take my hands off the keyboard. Once everything is clearly defined, I then move to a design tool to start building the UI.
4. What do you enjoy doing in your free time? Do you have any hobbies?
I’m a big fan of adrenaline sports, especially those involving downhill, enduro, and freeride biking, as well as skateboarding and snowboarding. These activities are the best way for me to clear my mind after a tough day. I also love spending time with my fiancée, enjoying nature, trying new foods, and experiencing all the wonderful things the world has to offer.
