We have the opportunity to change things for better
Check out an interview with Tereza Alux, Product Designer and Director of Ladies That UX, a global organization that seeks to encourage women who work with UX and Technology!
Tereza Alux has been working with UX for nearly twenty years, is a Product Designer at Mercado Livre and Director of Ladies That UX, a global organization whose goal is to improve women’s participation in the technology and experience market. Check out the interview with her:
1) How and when did your interest in UX arise?
I have always been a very curious person and since I was a child I stand out as a great artist. My toys were blank papers and colored pencils. Ostentation for me was faber castell’s 36-color kit and my dream was to become an illustrator and designer at Walt Disney's studios. As time went by, I got used to the idea that maybe it would be more viable to work as an art director, illustrator and graphic designer in a publishing house or media outlet.
When I was 15/16 years old, I started to venture out programming layouts for blogs and small sites and I found it very impressive to type a series of codes and make it an interface. This was a simple and easy way to interact with people, in addition to solving problems and making life easier. And that’s when I realized what I really enjoyed doing: building and designing products and services that meet people’s needs and make life easier, through technology.
2) You’ve been working with UX for almost twenty years. How would you describe that time?
In the first eight years of my career, which ran from 2002 to 2010, my main roles were web designer and webmaster, being part of communication or IT teams within companies, software factories or advertising agencies, always focusing on digital.
I used to receive briefings informing the client’s needs, or I used capture this client briefing myself, design the architecture, preview what the content would be, design the interface, develop and publish the sites. At that time, design was primarily focused on communication, advertising or marketing demands.
Over time and the change in behavior and consumption, this scope has been adapted to methods that prioritize the construction of services that solve problems, that make our lives simpler and help companies go through the digital transformation, or that adapt to the current scenario.
3) What are the main challenges you have faced throughout your professional career?
Since the beginning of my career, I deal with things that people weren’t used to seeing and that often didn’t understand how it worked or didn’t see the potential that I saw. I’ve heard phrases like “Why change? We’ve always done it like that.”, “Why are you making this up now?” or “It’s not going to come to anything.” for solutions I proposed.
These solutions were based on digitizing and automating processes to make them faster, safer and cheaper. A very interesting case that I still remember was in a situation where I proposed to allow people to register themselves for courses and events at the institution through the website, in a scenario where registration was only done by phone or in person. I insisted so much that they let me publish the solution. Sales were up countless percent and there was a flurry of praise. I could feel the embarrassment on the face of those who didn’t believe in my proposal. I didn’t stay with the company, but mostly I proved to myself that I do my job well.
4) What tips would you give to anyone who wants to start a career in the UX area?
Study but not limited to UX tools, dynamics or techniques. Knowing the methods is very important, but try to see beyond what is in the classes and books. Study the company, the context in which it operates, the product it offers, the public it serves. Study people and their goals, their anxieties, their problems, their potential.
Really care about solving problems. Only in this way will it be able to offer solutions that are close (still reinforcement: close) to what they need. Remember what Henry Ford said when he launched his first automobiles: “If I had asked people what they wanted, they would have told me ‘faster horses.’— See beyond what people say.
5) Where do you find inspiration to be constantly innovating?
Mainly in the challenge. When we are faced with something that needs to be improved or resolved, it is exciting to think about the possibilities for solutions and how we can even overcome barriers and go much further, discovering that we can create new things and innovate. We have at hand the opportunity to change things as we know them for the better. My inspiration also comes from many people I admire, not just designers but leaders, philosophers, writers, engineers, developers, historians, doctors and all the amazing people who are part of the community, sharing, supporting and encouraging others.
6) How did the idea of creating a UX community for women come about?
See that my story is full of moments where people didn’t believe in me. After all, I was a young woman, a student or a recent graduate of a course that nobody even knew what it was, suggesting changes in companies and processes that had been in place for years and saying that with those ideas, we could achieve better results.
People used to look at me like I was crazy. Maybe I be. To my luck and to the frustration of these people, I believed in myself, and I was able to put many good projects into production. Maybe I didn’t believe in myself as much as I would like, but I can’t say I didn’t do interesting things, but I sure would have done a lot more. And it’s thinking about this girl, who was taking her first steps, hearing several “no’s”, mocking comments, that I insisted on the challenge of bringing this community.
It’s a community where we allow ourselves to make mistakes, talk about problems, help and support each other. There’s a lot of good stuff and a lot of amazing people taking part. Can I say that there are only good, welcoming and positive people? No. After all, it is a community that only in Brazil has more than 30 thousand people and as people we are in a process of evolution, always in continuous beta and having a lot to learn.
But we at the organization strive to be an example of the change in behavior and reality that we would like to see in the world. We have had great results and I hope to have more and more. However, we also have our limitations. Between the intense routine of work, studying, taking care of household chores, caring about our family and friends, we also dedicate time to do our part in this project. We can’t do everything, but we do what we can and do it from the heart.
Besides of course, being tired of hearing nonsense like “There are no talented women working in technology.” or “I prefer not to hire women because they don’t know how to work in a team.” I brought this community also to show that there are, yes, many amazing women, doing an excellent job, standing out and helping other people, encouraging and inspiring to follow the same path.
7) Women are still a minority in the Design field. In this context, what has it been like for you to run a global project like Ladies That UX?
Today the issue of female participation is much more balanced than when I started, however, it is sad to say that we still earn less for positions and functions equivalent to men and that we are still under pressure and harassment.
These are issues that are much bigger than the community can reach, they are cultural issues. We have projects and initiatives dedicated to welcoming and supporting changes in behavior, in the social context in which we live, but it is craft work. I would like to say that we are having a very positive impact in this regard, but unfortunately it is not and if it is, it is in short steps. But we keep doing what we can, within our limitations, hoping that people find comfort and support in our work, or that it has the least positive impact on those in need.
8) How is your work routine as a Product Designer at Mercado Livre?
Mercado Livre is a company with a strong spirit of collaboration and innovation. Our values can give you a taste of what it is like to work here, which are: “We create value for our users”, “Engaging by taking risks”, “We compete as a team to win”, “We give our best and we have fun”, “We are in Continuous Beta” and “We execute with excellence”.
These principles encourage an entrepreneurial, welcoming, friendly and courageous culture. My colleagues are people who are always very engaged in projects, excited about the challenges and eager to share knowledge, work as a team to be successful together in our proposals, and deliver value to people. We are together encouraging entrepreneurship throughout Latin America, helping people to reach their best potential. Making your entrepreneur life easier. I am proud to be part of the UX team of such a cool company.
9) What advice would you give to those who want to migrate by profession and bet on the UX area?
Study a lot, read a lot, don’t stop improving. Design is an area in which we cannot stand still, we are always studying people, their behavior and challenges. Don’t think that your baggage is unimportant, that you need to erase everything you’ve lived through to change profession. It is very important that you are open to new experiences, dynamics and points of view, that you remain a teachable person. Mainly because you are learning a profession new to you. But don’t invalidate everything you’ve ever lived through. Your baggage is extremely important for us to create new solutions. Believe it, and believe you.
10) What are your professional expectations for the future?
I hope I can improve people’s lives, working with products and services that make a difference and make life more comfortable and enjoyable, so that they can focus on the things that are really important to them. I want them to find support in my work so they will be able to achieve their goals.
In the work environment I hope that people learn more and more, to work as a team, to be tolerant of differences, to be less competitive and to have respect for each other. Healthy competitiveness is interesting, but the ability to work in a group is much more important. As the poet John Donne says in Meditations VII: “No man is an isolated island”, “If we want to go far, we must go together”. Collaboration is one of the key ingredients to any kind of innovation and building the incredible future that we all want and need.
This interview was originally published in Portuguese, on the website of Mentorama — the school of the professions of the future.
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