Fireside Chats at KI labs; ep. 17
Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Heiligenberg, literally translated to Holy Hill, in the south of Germany. My parents ran a hotel passed down from my grandparents. My father was from Heiligenberg and my mother the one village over — quite a small world. My parents ran the hotel, so my sister and I spent a lot of time with a nanny, almost like a second mother.
Growing up, I had almost no interest in computers. I liked drawing and playing musical instruments (the clarinet and saxophone). I played in the village orchestra after learning and played for about ten years. I stopped playing once I moved away… not too much interest in playing in a Munich orchestra.
After school?
I did well in school but when I finished secondary school, I had no idea what to do. It’s a complete coincidence I ended up in IT. I knew I wanted to move to Munich and looked for a study program where I could study design technique. I ended up picking a Web Design and Development program without knowing too much about it, and it all worked out! I think I chose Munich because it’s still quite close to home. I have many friends who moved here as well as friends who stayed in Heiligenburg so it’s nice to be close by.
Following graduation, I started at an IT Security company as a Web Developer working with PHP, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, all the database things, everything you can imagine. After a few years as a developer, I decided I wanted to just be a designer and my employer allowed me to change positions. I still worked with HTML and CSS but this is not coding. I’m happy I started as a developer because it helps me as a designer. Many companies actually look for a designer with a background in development. It’s easier to communicate with developers when you know what they’re going through.
How did you find KI?
After 5 years at this company, working on the same product, I decided I wanted to try something new. I searched online, found KI, and immediately was attracted by the website design. There are many companies with poorly designed websites, and this doesn’t do a great job of attracting designers.
I was interviewed by our senior designer and immediately saw we could be a good team. It’s great to be able to work with such an experienced designer after not having any designer colleagues in my last company.
Did you make the right move moving to KI?
Oh, of course. Since I started a year ago, I’ve been able to work on 4 different projects. After working on one product for 5 years, this new environment has been quite refreshing. Also, at KI I do only UI/UX design with no development responsibilities.
I also like the variety of people here and the opportunity to speak English. The people you work with is the most important thing for me in a job and that is a great part of working here. Learning is also very important, ranked above the type of product you’re working on. I’ve learned new things on every product I’ve worked on. Lastly, having another designer with more experience is the best thing ever.
Will you stay in this industry?
I definitely think so. There are so many opportunities to work at good companies, work remotely, freelance, etc. I do think I might move some time in the future. I have a slight interest in Silicon Valley, or at least working remotely for one of the big companies. I can’t predict when that might happen, but I can see it as a possibility.
It’s talked about a lot, but the gender imbalance doesn’t bother me too much. I definitely would appreciate working with more women but it’s just the way it is. Coding was something I could do but I didn’t really enjoy it. I see many guys that can code in their sleep and love it. I haven’t seen that for so many women. Maybe there’s a physiological reason…maybe not, I don’t know.
I’d like to spend some more time on my own projects as well. My first entrepreneurial venture was designing t-shirts and I saw some success with this, some basic passive income. I’ve also sold UI design kits and I think I can continue to develop on this.
“What’s unique about Anja?”
I’m happy, I’m always happy. “This is a talent. People search their whole lives for this.” Nooo, you don’t have to search for it, you just have to be it.
“And that, folks, is the type of person you want to work with.”
Last week’s episode with our Tech Lead, Philipp.
If you’re interested in hearing more about KI labs, check out our website at ki-labs.com.
