Get to know Sunny, one of ALTEN’s UX Design consultants based in Stockholm. Take part of his thoughts on what’s most challenging in today’s game and on daring to be kind to yourself.

First of all – what do you do at ALTEN?

— I’m a User Experience Designer, or UX Designer if you will. Since December 2021, I’m on an assignment with a company that creates smart solutions for electric car charging.

Sunny’s first interaction with ALTEN looked like it often does for candidates in his field, but his experience of the same seems to differ. Through one of ALTEN’s recruiters, a dialogue was initiated and unlike the vast majority of DMs – who, according to Sunny, usually feel almost industrially produced – he felt that the approach was different this time. More personal, less general.

— It felt like the person was actually writing to me, and not to a LinkedIn search.

“The best way to develop is to try new things. That’s something I get plenty of opportunities to do on my various projects”

What attracted you to want to work in IT?

— I’ve always known that I want to work on developing products, whether it’s digital or physical products is not as important. The advantage that IT has is that it is much faster from the beginning of an idea to its release as a finished product.

What is the most fun part of your job?

— UX design is funny in a way, in the sense that few people know exactly what I’m working on. And the possibilities are great, to say the least! I’m currently working on everything from restructuring information on the web to working on a new design language. I jump between the digital, the physical and the strategic – and I’m really enjoying it.

Benefits, Challenges and Continuous Development in the Consultancy Role

A big factor as to why Sunny enjoys working at ALTEN today is the opportunity to work broadly in many different areas of expertise.

— As I see it, the great thing about being a consultant is that I can reinvent myself after one project and jump into a completely different role on the next. I love the variety and the opportunity to learn so much in so many different areas.

— I like that I have a pretty free rein to try new things, and feel that I get backing and support when I want to do so. I have developed enormously in a relatively short time!

How do you work to keep developing?

— The best way to develop is to try new things, and I get plenty of opportunities to do that on my various projects. Even though most of my development takes place on the site of the assignment, ALTEN is a sort of “home base” for me, somewhere I can turn to at any time for help if I’m stuck on something, or to share what I’ve learned with other designers at ALTEN.

“The advantage of being a consultant is that I can reinvent myself after an assignment”

What, in your opinion, is the biggest factor in developing the best in what you do?

— I think the most common answer to the question is that you have to be passionate about what you do, to be driven. But I think it’s just as important to be kind to yourself. Often you set out on a task with sky-high ambitions, become disappointed that you don’t reach your own unreasonable goals and risk ending up in a vicious spiral where you fool yourself that nothing you do is good enough.

— It’s okay to not always do something radical and innovative on every project. You get more chances. The important thing is to be happy with your effort and aim to do a little better next time.

How do you see the challenges in your field?

— The point I made earlier about few people knowing exactly what I do is an advantage, but it’s also a double-edged sword. Many people think that a UX Designer comes in at the end of a project and tidies everything up with fresh colours, but our expertise is the experience as a whole. The visuals are obviously a big part of that, but we do best when we’re allowed to take a holistic view of the user experience.

Lessons Learned and Future Trends

Is there anything that feels particularly exciting in terms of future trends in UX?

— I’m very curious to see how the user experience will change when the interaction between human and machine happens in a different way than exclusively through a screen. This could be the case for voice assistance, for example. As a UX designer, how should I work to deliver a great experience using only sound? How will interactions with “old” media and such new ones be? It will be incredibly exciting to see!

What advice do you have for those who want to work with User Experience?

— UX is very broad. Try to find the part of the design work that you are good at and is most interested in. It could be anything from doing user research and market analysis to developing interfaces and animations. Try to get an understanding of as many different fields as possible early on. The more you know, the easier it will be for you to communicate with different people from different backgrounds. After all, communication is the core of UX.

What do you do when you’re not working? What do you do in your spare time?

— I draw a lot! It’s a meditative activity for me, I usually put on some podcast in the background and just disappear for a few hours. Right now, I’m drawing a map of Stockholm, but in a dystopian sci-fi future.

Curious about if we have any current, exciting challenges in UX?

Why not go ahead and look into our open job opportunities!