These things have kept me at Zalando for a decade
Senior Product Designer, Simone Ihde, reveals how she has grown and made an impact over the past ten years at Zalando.
“It doesn’t even feel like ten years!” Simone smiles when we ask her what’s kept her with Zalando. Turns out time flies when you love your job. The Senior Product Designer has been part of our community since before UX was even a thing, back when Zalando’s goal was to reach 5,000 employees (we’re currently at over 17,000). In fact, rapid growth has been the driving force of our employee-employer symbiosis. Simone’s deep knowledge is fueled by the challenge of change. Meanwhile, her expertise has influenced some of our most inspiring design developments.
Simone recently moved from innovating outfit inspiration to working on our exciting new beauty experience — the latest of a long line of projects to stimulate her creativity. What has she enjoyed the most about her decade at Zalando? The passionate creative shares ten things she loves about her job.
1. Passion
“Every design task starts with a problem: the customer problem. We go further than simply finding solutions to improve the user experience. We’re potentially supporting customers in finding the perfect outfit for a wedding or the right beauty products for their self-care. We are not just selling products; we can create sparks of joy in people’s lives. Sometimes I sit in user tests and directly feel the excitement of participants who say, ‘This is so cool! When is it live? I need this!’ It feels so rewarding. Making customers happy is my passion. This is what brings me joy and motivates me every day.”
2. The Customer
“The importance of customer centricity has grown significantly while I have been at Zalando. We leverage engagement data provided by the Analytics team to improve flows, and base design solutions on qualitative and quantitative research conducted with the help of our Voice of Customers team. I’m super involved in user research because I believe that if you’re building something with the customer’s needs in mind, it guarantees you success.”
3. Impact
“I have made an impact at Zalando as an advocate for the customer. Listening to customer feedback, we improved the diversity and relatability of influencers presenting outfits in the Get the Look section. We created additional value by incorporating profiles, where you can learn more about the creators and view their latest outfits. Thanks to our work, customers can not only find the right products for any style or occasion, but also inspiration on how to combine items, presented by their favorite creators. Like me, many find their inspiration on social media, and it’s great to bring a part of this world to Zalando. I’m now looking forward to bringing the beauty experience to the next level.”
4. Culture
“There was a time when the design team all fitted into a small meeting room, and now we could fill an auditorium. The one thing that has never changed is the warm, open and supportive culture. We stand together in troubling times and we celebrate the good times. We support each other on professional and personal levels. We welcome new starters and help them to feel at home. And, most importantly, we do not just talk about work. I joined a small urban sketching group and I am a member of group chats for food and beauty lovers. There are also fun workshops conducted by colleagues, like how to create your own fragrance. Even when you change teams, you never feel like you’re meeting strangers, because we all share that special spirit.”
5. Diversity
“I have never been in a team at Zalando that was not super diverse. The first team I joined was responsible for localization, meaning that we had members from every Zalando market. There were times when I was the only German in my team, even though I am located in Berlin. I have always loved the diversity and the cultural exchange in my work environment. And it’s not only the people that are diverse, but also the topics I’ve been working on. One thing is for sure: you never get bored.”
6. Innovation
“I’ve worked on so many new innovations, like skills for the Google voice assistant and a Messenger chatbot, that are at the tip of technological development. It’s super exciting to explore and to understand how everything works. Many of us use virtual assistant technology at home, but how it’s all set up, not many people know. I had the chance to look behind the scenes and I am grateful for that.”
7. Change
“When I joined Zalando, we still considered ourselves a start-up. Gaining the maturity we have now obviously brought a lot of changes along the way. I learned over time that every change was an opportunity to grow. When I started, in 2012, the Zalando App was only available in Germany. In 2014, we increased the reach of the app to all European markets, of which there were 15 back then. Today, Zalando is available in 23 countries all over Europe. Being present in so many markets adds complexity, but also excitement to the solution design. What are the customer preferences and needs in each market? It’s very interesting to find out!”
8. Opportunity
“As an introvert, for a long time, I was very much in my head, working the tasks. One day, my lead suggested I should try mentorship. I wasn’t sure, but she encouraged me that I have a lot of knowledge that needs to be shared. The opportunity came when a junior designer joined my team, and it turned out to be a great partnership from the beginning — a lot of fun and so rewarding. Now I’m mentoring with passion. Mentees are happy to learn from me and I’m happy to share my knowledge. I’m more and more confident because I see the impact I can have, and that’s amazing. I am looking forward to continuing to help others grow.”
9. Feedback
“One of Zalando’s founding principles is to give and receive feedback openly; it is embedded in our culture to make it meaningful and supportive. When receiving feedback, some people think, ‘oh my god I’m doing something wrong.’ But the value of feedback always depends on how it is given. Simply saying, ‘this is a bad design’ does not help anybody. In the best case, feedback comes in the form of questions or suggestions — critique, not criticism — enabling you to reflect and act. It should help you to grow and to bring your solution forward.”
10. Discovery
“My advice to anyone starting as a designer at Zalando would be to never stop learning; always be curious and thirsty for knowledge. There are always new things to discover. It’s definitely not a job that you learn once and then you have it. It’s something that you continuously improve. Enjoy the journey!”
