Designers🎤alk #36 with Komal Bains( UX Designer IV at Nutanix)| PHASE 3 [IND Edition]
Date: 11th March 2021
Komal is working as a UX Designer IV for Nutanix. Also, she previously worked for companies like Honeywell &, etc. In this talk, she has shared her opinions regarding:
1️⃣ how UX Design help to build trust;
2️⃣ Usability testing and Functional testing;
3️⃣ skills that companies are looking for & etc;
Q1. Hi Komal, nice to meet you. Let’s start with a short background story. How did you get started in design?
I knew I wanted to pursue a career in a creative field since grade 10. After getting accepted in an Architecture college in Ahmadabad and two design schools in Pune, I decided to pursue Communication Design from Symbiosis Institute of Design.
In this 4 year course, I got the opportunity to explore various design fields such as Graphic, Animation, and UX design. Choosing UX for my specialization came naturally- I did not enjoy anything as much as I enjoyed solving problems in a structured manner.
It’s been a very rewarding and exciting journey in the field of User Experience ever since 🙂
Q2: How does UX Design help to build trust with users? Why it’s important?
It’s simple, you trust something that helps you succeed reliably. Some sure-shot ways to build trust with your users is by creating a product that is consistent, transparent, and secure.
As a designer, believe in the power of the ‘Aesthetic-Usability’ effect- beautiful things are generally perceived to be easier to use and are regarded as more valuable than ugly ones.
Engage with your users by providing them with efficient feedback loops. In conclusion, designing for the trust should be a part of the design process instead of an after-thought.
Q3: How would you differentiate between Usability testing and Functional testing? Which one is better out of these two?
Usability testing determines whether the user can efficiently and easily complete the desired task in a product.
Functional testing determines whether a product behaves the way it is designed to and focuses on the product’s conformation to design specifications.
Simply put, Usability testing is all about the user and the experience they will have using a product and functionality testing is more about the product itself, not the user who will use it.
In my opinion, one is as important as the other. A product automatically becomes more usable when it’s functional.
Q4: Any last advice for aspiring designers breaking into the UI/UX industry?
For someone starting out in this industry, be more mindful about choosing your first few jobs.
The right team and mentor may prove to be way more valuable than a higher starting salary.
Evaluate your potential team on factors like:
- the % of the time you will work on live projects vs internal products,
- the overall experience level of the team members,
- the impact your work is going to have on the org, and
- even your path to growth within the organization.
Q5:How do you look at the future of UX in India?
UX is quickly picking up in India and is now starting to get the due credit.
Consumer-focused companies have historically been more UX-forward, but with the rise of the Indian B2B space, there are now a growing number of UX-focussed/UX-led B2B companies that are starting to see UX as a core differentiating factor, and investing heavily into it.
Q6: What skills basically companies are looking for when hiring a UX designer?
When it comes to technical skills, it mostly depends on the kind of designer (Interaction/Visual/Graphic) and the company’s existing eco-system (tools employed by a particular company to carry out the design process).
When it comes to soft skills, even though it depends largely on:
- the role,
- thought-process,
- attention to detail,
- communication and collaboration skills top the list.
- the role, thought-process, attention to detail, communication and collaboration skills top the list.
Q7: Would you want to share a few tips with folks out there who want to join as interns or a UI/UX or product designer at Nutanix?
Create a portfolio that clearly showcases your complex problem-solving skills and the process you went through in order to come up with a solution- your assumptions, challenges, and even the failures.
We are more interested in your journey and learnings rather than only the outcome or creativity of your solution.
Highlight the impact your design had on your users or company’s success.
Q8: Designers Talk: Wrap Up round(One word or Choice-based)
- Design in one word: Exciting
- A product that inspires you: Notion
- Favorite design blog/publication: Design milk
- Favorite gadget: My noise-canceling headphones
- Dribbble or Behance: Behance
- Linkedin/Twitter/Instagram: Twitter
- DesignersTalk in one word: Ambitious
- Favorite Design Series/Video/Movie: Phantoms in the Brain (documentary)
- First Choice(Website/App): Design a website, use an app
- Favorite Design System: Nutanix (from the ones I have used)
- Android or iOS: iOS
- XD/Figma/Sketch/Invision Studio: Figma
- Go-To Tool for you as a designer: Figma
Thank you 🙏 Komal💚 for giving your precious time
HOSTED BY: designer.akash
The motto for this DesignersTalk is to “Bridge the gap between Industry Standard Designers and New Designers”.
Why text-based? Because it’s precise, to-the-point opinions and it also gives freedom to those designers who want to share but not comfortable in front of the camera and who don’t want to give their too much time but still wanted to contribute.
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Akash ✍️💚
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