Meet the Product Design team: Caio Barrocal, Product Designer

Where are you from and which languages do you speak?

I am from São Paulo, Brazil, so my mother tongue is Portuguese. Moreover, I speak English, have basic knowledge of French and Spanish, and more recently started learning German.

What’s your role at Babbel? How long have you been working here?

I work as a Product Designer and have been working at Babbel since May 2022.

Why did you decide to work as a Product Designer?

I can say that life took me there, actually. I was always very passionate about computer graphics, video games and special effects, which led me to do a certificate in Multimedia and Graphic Design in high school. It was a good experience, but it didn’t have enough focus on digital design for me.

Because I wanted my career to be focused on software, I ended up pursuing a bachelor’s degree in computer science. Halfway through my studies, I had the opportunity to start working as an interaction design intern at a global design consultancy. This really kick-started my product design career. Having experimented working with data science and software engineering before, I actually found interaction design to be a very nice opportunity to mix these two interests of mine (computing and design). That’s why I do programming as an artistic side-hobby.

Can you describe a typical work day?

I guess it changes a lot based on the type of project we’re working on. I am currently working on the implementation of a big project that will comprise mobile and web versions, and requires significant changes in our systems. Because of that, a typical work day will involve supporting implementation of already finalized designs — such as providing assets and executing design QA — refinement of designs that still need to be handed over, and lots of meetings with relevant stakeholders as constraints appear and new use cases receive focus.

What challenges are you most animated by?

I think I’m a pretty dynamic designer — I tend to feel animated by the many tasks scattered around the design spectrum. However, I guess I feel bored when I’m stuck doing the same thing over and over again. Being a computer scientist, I feel particularly excited when I get to design close to complex systems and/or data.

Is there something that the Babbel Design team does differently compared to other companies in the industry?

I would say the high emphasis on knowledge sharing and on collaborative work are one of the biggest differences I noticed, compared to other experiences I have had.

What have been your biggest learnings in the Babbel Design team?

Because of the project I am currently working on, I’ve had the opportunity to work very closely with all mobile and web developers in my team. On top of that, I’ve been working with learning content creators, and with the teams responsible for the tools, systems, and architecture of how learning activities are stored and managed. It has been an amazing learning experience working with these many stakeholders to make sure the designed experience is delivered.

What makes Babbel Design unique or special?

I would say it’s this very aspect of designing around educational content and having learning-success in mind. It’s a challenge!