With over 9 years of experience as a UX/UI and Product Designer, I have crafted design solutions for various industries, including healthcare, e-commerce, and product management.
Alongside this, I have 4 years of Digital Marketing expertise, offering a unique perspective on how design and marketing can work together to create a cohesive user experience.
I approach each project with a passion for problem-solving and an unwavering commitment to delivering the most optimal outcomes that benefit users and businesses alike.
My drive for continual growth, both professionally and personally, fuels my pursuit of creating designs that have a positive impact on the world.
Quick Facts
🤓 I'm a book worm and a member of a literature club
🌿 Nothing recharges me better than nature
☕ My favourite meal is breakfast (with the biggest cup of cappuccino, please!)
🎓 I enjoy learning new cool stuff, from candle making to perfume composing
🎨 My true passion is art, especially from the 20th century era…
🌍 ...and travelling (24 countries visited and counting!)
🐈⬛ I love animals and I'm a proud cat owner
🛋️ "Friends" is my favourite TV show, as they've been always there for me
🎸 "The Cure" music band and Robert Smith's voice is what really cures me
🍝 I adore cooking Italian cuisine. However, I love eating it even more! 🤤
My Philosophy
Strive for ethical design & do no harm
I am committed to creating design solutions that put users first, without resorting to manipulative design tactics or dark patterns. I strive to build products that empower and respect users, address their real needs, and promote inclusivity, while achieving business goals and contributing to a more ethical and sustainable design industry.
View challenges as opportunities
In product design, encountering new challenges and unfamiliar situations is inevitable, and it is important to embrace them as opportunities for growth and development. Reflecting on areas for improvement and analyzing potential pitfalls helps me expand my skill set, stay adaptable and open-minded, and approach problems from different angles.
Never stop asking "Why?"
I believe that constantly questioning my own and my team's assumptions, iterating and testing our ideas and solutions is essential for avoiding biases, identifying blind spots and gaining a deeper understanding of user needs. Moreover, it encourages a culture of curiosity and continuous learning, which leads to more effective and unique product solutions.
How I Work
My preferred design approach involves using the Double-Diamond model as a framework to address challenges. Here is the set of steps that I strive to follow in each and every project:
Step 1
Discovery
Understanding the problem and its context, gathering business requirements and metrics, analysing existing data, generating hypotheses.
Step 2
Research
Defining the problem, checking hypotheses, understanding the market, and specifying key user needs via primary and secondary research.
Step 3
Synthesis
Analyzing research data and insights, generating HMW questions and framing opportunities, diving into personas, user journeys and user stories, presenting findings to stakeholders.
Step 4
Ideation
Brainstorming ideas, generating, evaluating and selecting solutions, sketching and / or wireframing.
Step 5
Prototyping & Testing
Creating prototypes, testing with users and stakeholders, gathering and analyzing feedback, updating the prototypes based on the gained insights, iterating the flow.
Step 6
Design Refinement
Polishing the final design solution, preparing mockups, user flows, user stories and specifications for an engineering team.
Step 7
Handoff
Collaborating closely with engineering and product teams to ensure a successful design implementation, supervising the implementation.
Step 8
Design Review
Testing implemented functionality, providing feedback to an engineering team, collecting feedback internally, documenting ideas for improvement.
Step 9
Monitoring & Iterating
Conducting & analyzing user research, monitoring performance to discover opportunities for improvement, planning next steps, keeping improving.
What Sets Me Apart
I care about the whole journey
I take a holistic approach, going beyond my individual design tasks to contribute to the project's overall success. By collaborating closely with the team and stakeholders, I ensure alignment on feature requirements, technical feasibility, and project scope. I also test and review designs at each implementation stage, providing feedback and making necessary adjustments to deliver a high-quality final product.
I strive to cultivate empathy & support
Empathy is a cornerstone of my identity, which drives me to care deeply about the emotional well-being and comfort of those around me. I place great emphasis on cultivating a culture of safety, respect, and support within my team. By doing so, I strive to create an environment of successful collaboration where every team member feels valued, heard, and empowered to contribute their best selves to the work.
I'm dedicated to long-term thinking
When designing solutions, I take into account not just the immediate features and requirements, but also how they will function and evolve over time. By seeing the bigger picture and taking a long-term perspective, I can anticipate potential challenges and opportunities and make informed design decisions that are not only effective in the short term but also sustainable when it’s time to scale.
What I'm Looking For
Non-trivial tasks & opportunities for constant growth
I thrive on solving complex problems and bringing order to chaos. I perform best when I'm challenged to think deeply over non-trivial tasks to find the most effective solution. I believe that professional development is essential for long-term job satisfaction and a company's success, and I value companies that are willing to invest in their employees' growth and learning.
Healthy, safe & supportive work environment
When it comes to work environments, I value collaboration and support above all else. I want to work in a team that is committed to helping each other succeed and achieve the common end goal, and where all team members feel safe and comfortable sharing their ideas and knowledge, providing feedback, learning from each other and growing their skills together.
Company mission aligning with my principles
I am motivated to work for a company with a clear mission that resonates with my personal principles and values. I want to be part of a team that is committed to creating long-term positive change in people's lives, and values social responsibility and ethical decision-making. I believe that working towards a shared meaningful purpose is essential for creating a fulfilling and rewarding career.
What Books I'm Made of
Here is a selection of my favourite non-design books that played a significant role in shaping my personality throughout different phases of my growth.
LET’S WORK TOGETHER!
e.kalento@gmail.com