Building the future of classical music: meet our Product Design Lead, Kat
I became increasingly aware of how product life cycles consume worrying amounts of energy and I wanted to find solutions that would stand the test of time.
Since early 2019, Kat has been heading the Product Design Team at IDAGIO — today we caught up with her to get the inside scoop on everything from what inspires her to her top tips on becoming a product designer to what she’s currently listening to.
Can you sum up your role in one sentence?
As a Product Designer, it’s my job to think of solutions that make our product as useful and attractive as possible to users.
Did you always want to be a product designer?
The short answer is no. Actually, when I was young I wanted to be a missionary. However, my passion for the environment and the desire to create sustainable products lead me to Industrial Design, and from there I started thinking about the future of everyday products. I became increasingly aware of how product life cycles consume worrying amounts of energy and I wanted to find solutions that would stand the test of time.
How did you find your way to IDAGIO?
Growing up, our household was always pretty musical and my mum always encouraged my siblings and I to play a variety of instruments. I loved playing the piano and also tried my hand at the flute, clarinet and trumpet. When I made the move from Australia to Europe, the influence of classical music wasn’t as strong as it had been at home. As I met new people, my interests moved to the sharing economy and minimalism.
At university, I studied Industrial Design Engineering, and decided I really enjoyed the research side of things. To conclude my studies, I completed my masters in Strategic Product Design to compliment my Undergrad, and link Design back to business. During my studies, I was able to learn an array of research methods, and connect the value of design with business. After my studies, I began working in roles innovating the mobility industry.
After a chance exchange with Judith, our HR director, I applied for the role of Lead Product Designer at IDAGIO and it’s safe to say that I welcomed classical music back into my life with open arms.
What does your typical work day look like?
As I cycle home from work, most days I think to myself, “I didn’t expect that to happen today”.
As a team lead, my role is to develop the team’s processes, structure, culture and most importantly, develop my team members. Most of my time is mostly split between those activities. A big part of my day is meeting with different team members, both from inside and outside the product design team, to share what we’re all working on. I’m a strong believer in collaboration and its role in creating successful designs. As a product design team we make a conscious decision to share our work on a weekly basis. We meet twice a week to evaluate our ideas in our weekly ‘Design Critique and tea’ and ‘Product Design Thursday morning workshops’ where we come together to workshop a project we’re working on, as a team.
What’s the best thing about working at IDAGIO?
People, people, people, people, people! I don’t think I can say that enough. I’m so blessed to be working with such an amazing, talented set of people who question why we do what we do, whether what we’re building is important and how we can solve the problem in front of us.
Which qualities do you look for in new Product Design team members?
We want to hire people who are passionate about what they do and want to make a difference to the future of classical music product. We look forward to getting to know potential colleagues who have been passionate in their previous roles. What we love to see, are people who enjoy their job and as such, excel in their role.
What career advice would you give aspiring Product Designers?
Dive into as many learning opportunities as you can — whether that’s through books, meet-ups, articles, podcasts or just surrounding yourself with like-minded people. Get as much feedback as you can about your work. Head to events, find people that you vibe with and ask if they’d be willing to look over some work as a start. Dedicate time to finding your design strengths or areas of interest.
I also suggest connecting with other designers in your community. In Berlin, I can recommend ‘Ladies that UX’, ‘Creative Mornings’, ‘UX Book Club’ and (filthy plug) ‘IxDA Berlin’, which I co-host. I’ve also heard great things about ‘Ladies, Wine and Design’ but haven’t had the opportunity to attend yet.
What inspires you?
I used to have the phrase ‘10,000 Hours’ as my desktop wallpaper to remind me of Malcolm Gladwell’s theory that experts must accumulate 10,000 hours before truly understanding a topic.
What are you currently listening to?
Just today I was recommended Per Nørgård’s ‘Whirl Wind’ by Nico from our music ingestion team. I’m no expert, but I enjoy the new nordic feel of the music — it challenges non-aficionados’ perception of classical music.
What’s the best thing about living in Berlin?
The baklava cafés late at night on Sonnenallee, sitting outside for a glass of natural wine at Rocket and the renovations we’re doing on our living room at the moment.
If you could be famous for anything in the world, what would it be?
It’s not something I’ve given much thought to. The first thing that popped into my mind are being known for sustainable living and permaculture farming methods in arid countries (eg. Australia).
Apart from IDAGIO, which three apps can’t you live without?
You’d be surprised by this — especially as someone working in tech — but I could easily live without a phone. However, in order to answer your question, my top three apps are Clue, Notion and third place is a toss up between Lichess and Google Pay.
