Inland team: Kata
What have you been doing before?
I graduated with a bachelor’s degree in industrial design in spring 2017 and am currently studying my Master’s in Collaborative and Industrial Design in Aalto University. During the recent years I have worked mostly on service design projects, latest of which have been related to e.g. organizational strategy, collaboration practices and designing communication tools. In projects I tend to lean in the ethnographic user research/human perspective side as well as visualization, especially as a tool for facilitating understanding. I have also been working on small graphic design and illustration projects both on commission and on my freetime!
Why did you come to Migri?
Last spring, I participated in Aalto University’s course Design for Government, an advanced studio course where we collaborated with the Finnish government and public sector to address some of the complex challenges they deal with. I have been interested in working in the public sector for some time, and with the boost from DFG, I became aware of the design in the government scene and wanted to become part of it. I also think service design approaches serve a lot of purpose and have all the potential to create value in the public sector. Whether it’s information design of a template, mapping a company ecosystem or facilitating a workshop, visualization, co-design and dialogue skills are still often underrepresented in big organizations, be it government or a company. Thus, I see that user research, human-centred design methods and visualization skills have impact right in the middle of everything. How a design process can actually be facilitated in a complex and hierarchical organization such as Migri, is something I came to find out. Since proposing change in things you don’t understand can be difficult, I see that the logical way is to dive in and learn! I’m hoping my Master’s thesis will reflect all of the learnings at Inland.
How do you want to work in Inland?
I want to work in an active, collaborative and constructive manner. I believe in designing with the people involved: the end-users, the decision makers and people in-between. I pursue precision in communication: I want to listen and collaborate as well as give and receive feedback. Pursuing objectivity, yet never forgetting empathy. I am already a strong team worker but have a lot to learn on working in a more independent manner. During my stay at Inland I’m hoping to take on responsibilities that I have not had the chance to take on before.
How do you envision Inland in the future?
I envision Inland as an influential, strategic player in the field of designing in the government; connected across the world and across different disciplines. I see Inland coming up with alternative practices, figuring out new ways of solving problems and experimenting boldly, to ultimately improve the well-being and easy integration of all immigrants. I think Inland has the opportunity to work closely with different public agencies, users and other officials, and thus be in the forefront of setting an example for the immigration services across the globe, but also for other governmental institutions.
What do you do when you’re not working in Inland?
When I’m not hanging out with my friends or exploring different culture events, I might be drawing, reading or tending to my collection of houseplants. I’m also trapped in a never-ending limbo with a million different tv-series and documentaries.
