Remote Product Designer Story and Step Up To Another Journey — Self-reflection
2 years ago, around November I published a story about moving to INMAGINE — 123RF as a product designer. After almost 2,5 years, many things happen and I decided to end up that part of my journey and move to start a new job.
As in previous writings, I also want to share about what I have experienced throughout my journey, and of course for me personally, this article will be a self-reflection and a means for me to develop myself in the future. So, here are my experience as (Senior) Product Designer for INMAGINE — 123RF
A sheep without a shepherd who turns to be a wolf pack
The first few months felt very weird, firstly because I was the only designer working remotely from Indonesia, while the other team was in Malaysia, and as I told in my old article, I started my journey at 123RF as a remote designer, due to a visa issue took some time to prepare, until finally in March I got a that visa, but Covid came and locked it. That’s why from November 2019 until my last day, I stayed in Bekasi, Indonesia.
Working ‘alone’ for about 4 months feels odd, I like working and sometimes not working. The goal is that all progress must be done on time, I got that, always on time, But after that, it seems nothing, no one feels care of me, friendship and relationship with other teams just only like “I know you, you know me, let's finish the job” that's all, no teammate casual conversation.
But day by day, especially after all remote, it’s getting better and better, especially after we have the structure, and lead, all the process gettin better, with good vision, product road map, design working flow and better preparation before designing.
Supportive team and trust the process
I sometimes hear a story about the product design team that the management, product owners do not provide sufficient time for them to do research. This has happened to me in my old experience. Boss only wants big projects to be completed in 3 days. That’s so scary. When I can do research? When I can discuss this with PM? When I can design it? When I can do UT? When and how to make the improvement?
Luckily, I didn’t experience this with my team. All teams, IT, management, business, all respect the process, every project is given the opportunity to research and all of our presentations are listened to carefully, including some improvement ideas, at least they hear it, although I know, not all ideas can be executed or can be but it took a long time because it was waiting for the development timeline. A supportive team!
Design system not only visual side but us, as a system & as a team player
Yes, our team wants to build the design system for every product. But what the design system means here is not just a collection of foundations, atoms, molecules, components, but also about the system during designing or in other hands we called it design process.
So we’re trying the end-to-end process, from the understanding the product, understanding from businesses perspective, try to deep research and doing the competitor review, designing, testing, maintaining the development until finally the project launched and we also do post live interviews. That’s an unstoppable circle that we do. And these processes lead us to hundreds (or thousands) of screens, many Figma files per project, tons of meetings and testing, many presentation slides, but the important things, those processes lead us to grow as a designer individually also as a member of the design team.
Language barrier?
Since 2 years ago, I'm not confident with my English. I was afraid that people don't understand my English and my presentation, and I tried to be honest with my team member about my English. But, the things that I realized, I just need to be confident about it. Yes, I'm sure that my English, my grammar must be improved, but despite my weakness, I always try to learn it, from all the things, from music and lyrics, from movie and always, before the presentation I tried to do a mock presentation by my self, pretend that I'm speaking to the team members and stakeholders, that's the way of me exploring my English. Also, as my Lead said, I’m a slides person. I always speak through the slides, it helps me a lot to explain the things that I want to present. If the word doesn’t work? Visual does.
Why, why, why, why, and why?
Every project requires a different treatment and way to design it. So for me, as a basic understanding of the task that I want to create, I always take my time mostly about understanding and doing research on the project. Better understanding makes me more knowledgeable to create the visual.
One parameter that I always use, always ask Why, Why and Why during the ideation and research. The question will help me to understand it and easier for me to get the idea. After that, during the pitching, I tried to give a few alternatives idea. So the team, the stakeholders also will have the imagination about my idea and can pick, or ask me to improve the idea. For me, a few ideas are much better for discussion rather than only 1 idea.
Improvement as always
On another side of the book, I as a person sure that I still need to improve a lot of things. So I will use “as a user… I want to…” sentences to explain my weakness and things that I need to learn during my next journey.
- As a Designer, I want to learn more about my conversation skills and grammar writing so it will be easier for me to explain something or have a casual conversation with friends.
- As a Designer, I want to more focus on managing and especially maintaining my Jira board, so my lead and my team member can take a look at my progress.
- As a Designer, I want to more focus on maintaining and checking the developing side and have more communication with the testing team, so I can make sure that the product fits all my designs.
- As a Designer, I want to learn about how to give proper feedback to my teammate, so the discussion can be more interesting and that will make us get another point of view of designing.
- Last but not least, As a designer and remote worker I want to make sure, I always open my camera during the meeting, so my friend will know me more and I also can know my friend.
This is also the way I documented my story, my journey, so I can keep learning every day, hopefully, this writing also can motivate you to be better of yourself in your way. And during my reflection time, I’m sure that I have progressed from the first time I worked in Product Design 6 years ago until now, and sure, I hope that I can still continue my progress of learning. Never stop learning.
So once again I want to say thanks to all of my teammates and also my previous teammate at 123RF. Charissa, Shu Yi, Binson, Stella, Matt, Tess, Aliff, Sook Yan, Azli, Pei, Johnny, and all the 123RF teams, kudos to all of you, and all the best!
Mas Edo pamit!
So the question, where do I go next? I will post a story soon. Thanks!
