My Journey So Far at Hippo Digital

Having graduated university with a degree in Computing and Information Systems, I was still bewildered and scared like many other of my peers of what the IT industry had in store for us. Hardly anyone knew exactly which career they wanted to pursue, luckily for me, I found my niche, UX (User Experience) Design.

I started my career as a graduate trainee at a legal software house, learning the ropes, and absorbing knowledge from senior designers. The opportunity of joining Hippo Digital arose soon after, an opportunity that was too good to miss. The world that I would eventually be introduced to was nothing like what I was used to, the range and dynamics of the projects that Hippo Digital are involved in were alien to me.

Joining Hippo Digital

I understood that I had to make a decision, stay in a comfortable bubble where learning opportunities and professional development would eventually fade away, or join an exciting, intriguing and affable community of leaders, designers, researchers who provide an ongoing stream of support and learning opportunities.

Almost 4 months later, I can confidently say, joining Hippo Digital was one of the finest decisions I made to further enhance and progress my career in the design industry. Working on a public sector project can be daunting and overwhelming. However, what I soon realised being among the Hippo herd is that, no question is shunned away, a fellow hippo will always make time for you, and the leadership team truly care about your professional development.

What I’ve learnt so far as a Designer

• Be an inclusive team member — Moving in a fast-paced environment, you cannot afford to be working as a ‘Silo-Designer’, collaborate, include team members in sketching concepts, low/hi-fidelity artefact feedback, it will help you grow as a designer and also help provide a complete and fit for purpose deliverable.
• Never be afraid to ask questions — No question is a stupid question at Hippo. Always communicate with management and team members to perfectly understand and synthesise the right solution.
• Help is and will always be there — the idea of being a perfect designer is something I don’t agree with. You will always find yourself learning, developing and evolving as a designer. Make the best and most of the opportunity given to you to constantly strive to become better than yesterday’s you.