Inside the design team giving fulfillment a double meaning

Looking for a role that never gets boring? Head of Product Design, Dr. Christina Dicke, shares her typical workday in one of our liveliest design departments.

At Zalando, Customer Fulfillment has a double meaning. The Product Design team, led by Head of Product Design, Dr. Christina Dicke, not only works to innovate core logistics and communications, but to create noticeable value for thousands of customers, partners and employees. “Through our work we make quite an impact!” says Christina, who rates her “CuFu” department as the very best out there. Spanning B2C, B2B and B2E, it’s probably the most diverse area for designers to work in too.

The sheer breadth of topics the team covers — including warehouse and planning applications, sustainable packaging solutions, service design for partner solutions, returns flow, and the customer chatbot — make it an exciting environment for minds who relish complexity. In under a year, the Customer Fulfillment team has grown from two to ten designers — and is currently on the lookout for more senior talent who are ready to bring a little more pace to their career.

So what does the typical day at the forefront of Customer Fulfillment look like? We asked Christina to fill us in on the highlights.

A day in the shoes of Dr. Christina Dicke

6 am: Since joining Zalando last summer, I’ve been working mostly from home, so making time for exercise is very important. I like to get up early and start my days with a workout: running, rowing, or cycling.

8 am: I am back at home and having my coffee. I usually skip breakfast.

8:30 am: I start my day with some catching up: reading emails and writing my to-do list for the day. Customer Fulfillment at Zalando is a very broad area, where we focus on providing the best experience after a customer clicks “order.” That includes logistics, delivery, returns, and customer care. We work on creating value for our partners, customers, and employees. It’s a lot to get through.

10 am: My meetings usually start around this time. We just had an All Hands with the broader Customer Fulfillment community to discuss Zalando’s operational plan for 2022. So, now, my team is meeting to talk about how we can contribute. The Customer Fulfillment Product Design team came together last summer and we’re still figuring out the best ways to exchange knowledge with other teams. Spending time with our designer peers is crucial for community building.

11 am: Time for an early lunch!

1 pm: Our weekly design critique is another opportunity for the team to come together and support each other in their craft. This time, an engineering lead from the Zalando Design System is joining us to strategize a solution for the warehouse applications. There are a few design systems at Zalando — both for B2C and B2B solutions — so we’re trying to decide whether to adopt one of them or to build our own.

3 pm: Our team is growing rapidly. Right now, we’re recruiting for a few more Product Designers and User Researchers. Midafternoon is a great time to schedule a chat with a potential candidate. I usually step in towards the end of their hiring journey, with what we call a “job-specific interview.” The goal is to get to know each other a little better and to see if there is mutual interest in working together. I start by introducing the team, our goals, and our ways of working, before going into a Q&A.

I’m looking for Product Designers who are keen to deal with complexity. We are quite nerdy! Our interfaces are built for efficiency, not inspiration. And it’s always great when designers have previous experience in customer fulfillment, logistics, or B2E. Personality fit is also important; I’m always trying to find the best match for the candidate in terms of the team and the stakeholders they will be working with. Last, but not least: energy flow. Can they drive a design topic in a low-maturity environment? Can they manage multiple stakeholders? Can they advocate for design methods?

5:30 pm: I wrap up the day the way I begin: going over my to-do list and checking my inbox. I also set aside some time to look at strategies or operational plans. I like to go for a walk at the end of the workday and meet my friends. I also make sure to prepare meals for the day ahead.

Ready for a new challenge? Join Christina and her team as a Principal or Senior Product Designer, or a Principal User Researcher.