Team Spotlight: Luke
A Nintendo aficionado and aspiring cyclist all about improving lives
For this Team Spotlight, we talked to Luke Chen, our User Experience (UX) Lead, who works on both the design and research team. Without further ado, let’s get to know Luke!
Q: Hi Luke! I’d like to start off with your background. Can you tell me a bit about yourself?
A: I grew up in Hong Kong — my parents are Taiwanese but I’ve never lived in Taiwan. I studied in the States for college and I’ve been in Singapore for 5 years now. Before coming to Singapore, I worked for a larger company with an office in Singapore.
Q: And what did you study in college? Did you study UX?
A: No, I studied industrial engineering, the least technical of engineering. It’s all about optimization of supply chains, and I think UX is quite similar since it’s about making the experience and the product the best that I can be. It wasn’t too difficult of a shift from my original role to UX.
Q: Can you explain to those, like myself, who might not be familiar with UX, what it is?
A: Hmm, the analogy I like to use is it’s kind of like getting a new pair of glasses. You go through a series of tasks to make sure what you’re getting is individual to you. In UX, we test ideas with people who are going to use the product or service and we go through rounds to make sure that what we’re getting is unique to their needs. There’s also a design aspect because you want glasses that look good. UX also takes into account the part of design and making sure the branding is on point and reflects the company’s values and its tone of voice when communicating with people.
Q: Thanks for that very helpful metaphor! And how did you end up at 55 Minutes? What drew you to this company?
A: I was at Accenture for five to six years, and being at a large consulting firm, I didn’t enjoy the corporate ladder progression that much. As an introvert, that’s not my natural comfort zone of how I prefer to work, so I actually left Accenture about three years ago to start my own business, a social enterprise aimed at alleviating homelessness in New York. It was enjoyable, but I learned that entrepreneurship was probably not for me, knowing how much work has to go into it. Because of my wife, I was looking for jobs back in Singapore, and when I found 55 Minutes, I felt it was the perfect fit for me — it combined UX with working on meaningful projects. It definitely has that focus on solving problems that matter and serving communities that are being overlooked.
Q: Can I ask what the interview process was like?
A: Oh, yeah sure. I interviewed with Wendy, our Creative Director, three times. We got to know each other, what our goals were (Wendy’s goals for 55 Minutes and my goals for myself). The more we got to know each other, what we found out was that Wendy needed a “copy of herself” because she doesn’t have time to do everything. Wendy and I decided that the role that would be the best for both of our situations was for me to take on the UX Lead Role, managing the two designers they have at the time.
Q: Ahh, I love that you both were able to have open conversations to find the best match for both of you. So you were managing designers at the time. Can you describe your role today? Has your role changed?
A: So we have two teams — designers and UX researchers — and I have my foot in all projects going on, so it’s a lot of juggling in terms of supporting researchers and designers. So I would say I do a bit of project management, mentoring researchers and designers, as well as doing designs every now and then when demand is higher than usual.
Q: Wow. That’s a lot of responsibilities. Do you have tips or advice for people who are also juggling multiple projects like myself?
A: The thing that has worked for me is writing everything down. Because our memory isn’t naturally capable of handling different things at once, I find I have to write everything down so the next to-do’s are being captured. I just realized that Google Calendar also has a task sidebar, so anything that goes into that to-do list goes into my calendar, so that actually works well for me because it helps me keep track of everything going on.
Q: I’ll have to look into that tool! So with everything going on in your job, what’s your favorite part?
A: Even when I was looking for a new job, a few things matter the most: 1) A good mentor; 2) a good team; and 3) meaningful projects to work on. What I’ve found is that the people are what keeps me most energized to do work throughout the day. The team here is very diverse, and I think with that comes a lot of unpredictable moments and that creates a fun working environment.
Q: I love that! And how would you describe 55 Minutes in three words?
A: I feel like my three words define the people. My first word is fun; everyone really values having a social relationship with each other. We have mini check-ins every week, where it rotates as to who’s hosting it. Sometimes it’s games, sometimes it’s icebreakers to get to know each other better. I value making work fun. My second word is growing; A lot of companies value personal growth and development, but it sometimes comes out that you find your own growth and development. Sometimes you have to carve out the time yourself while managing all the work you do. Something we’re implementing right now is carving out time in your normal schedule (during 9–5) and making sure no one books your time so that you really have that ability to set aside the time to learn and learn new things. Everyone on the team really values that as well. My last word is weird and I mean that with all the positive connotations. Everyone has such a unique personality, and you just have a lot of unexpected moments. Like, you find out one person is a great dancer and not afraid to share and show that skill.
Q: So you obviously really enjoy your work and being part of the team. Why do you think the work you’re doing is important?
A: In general, UX as a job is all about improving lives, which is a great place to start, but I would say at 55 Minutes, what goes beyond that job description is there is a dedication to solving problems that might not be the biggest revenue generators, so that gives us the opportunity to work on problems that might be overlooked. When we don’t prioritize money as the driving goal for our project, that opens up more opportunities to work on problems where we can find solutions that are really new.
Q: I absolutely agree. You discover new things when you’re not focused on revenue. This has been a very insightful chat, so my last question is — what skills are important for folks who want to work in the UX field?
A: Well, something that we prioritize is empathy — to step into people’s shoes and understand what they’re feeling. That is most important to us as UX designers. Once we’re able to really have that full picture of what they are thinking and what are the real pains that they’re going through, then we can try to solve for their needs, and that’s what makes a great UX designer.
A lot of people focus on the design part of it, but I think it’s about understanding what the need is.
Once we’re able to really have that full picture of what they are thinking and what are the real pains that they’re going through, then we can try to solve for their needs, and that’s what makes a great UX designer.
Q: Great. Those were all my questions, and now I have a few fun questions from the team! If you could be anyone for a day, who would you be and why?
A: Shigeru Miyamoto, the Nintendo game designer who created the Mario and Zelda series, some of my favorite childhood games! I admire his creativity and ability to create fun experiences, so I’d love to learn that from him. I also love his positive attitude, he’s like a kid at heart.
Q: What are some top three traits in people that you can’t stand?
A: (Can I reverse this question? :))
1. Good sense of humor, because life is meant to be enjoyed!
2. Easy going, because most problems are better solved calm and collected.
3. Loving, because good vibes lift people up!
Q: What is one thing on your bucket list?
A: I’ve recently been into cycling, but there’s only so much space (and too much heat) in Singapore, so I’d like to cycle throughout Europe sometime! I hear Croatia is nice.
We hope you enjoyed learning a little bit about Luke, 55 Minutes, and our team culture. Luke’s other “unofficial” bucket list also includes getting either a cat or a dog within the next year, glamping throughout Europe to see the mesmerizing Northern Lights, and going to space.
