Answers

1. Me and UX

• My journey into UX design really began with a foundation in business and marketing, which I studied for my BA (Hons) at De Montfort University in Leicester.
• During that time, I became fascinated by customer behavior and understanding the 'why' behind their actions.
• While I enjoyed the strategic side of marketing – for instance, leading Project Smile for Enactus DMU where we designed materials for children's oral hygiene – I found myself increasingly drawn to directly shaping user interaction and solving their problems through design.
• This strong interest led me to fully transition into UX by pursuing an MA in User Experience and Service Design at Loughborough University.
• My MA gave me hands-on experience with industry projects, like the Sparck e-bike service, and it's where I truly solidified my passion for UX. I also had the opportunity to apply my skills practically as a UX Designer Volunteer with Fundacja Kompetencji Cyfrowych, one of Poland's largest NGOs supporting women in tech. There, I was involved in remaking websites, working closely with developers, and focusing on accessibility improvements.
• I realized UX was the perfect intersection of understanding user needs, creative problem-solving, and seeing real, positive impacts from my work.
• What I'm most passionate about now is designing for complex systems that genuinely make people's lives easier, especially at scale.
• The challenge of untangling intricate user journeys, like those in online grocery shopping with its unique demands (large baskets, repeat purchases), and then crafting intuitive, accessible solutions really excites me.
• The iterative nature of UX – always learning from users, testing, and refining – is incredibly rewarding, and I'm keen to apply this at a company like Ocado, a leader in technological innovation in this space.

2. About Portfolio Project (Hibe)

• I'm particularly proud of the 'Hibe' project, part of the Ford Smart Mobility Challenge during my time in the UK.
• Situation: The challenge was to address urban mobility issues sustainably. Our team identified a significant problem: e-waste from 'hibernating' electronics.
• Task: As Project Leader and UX/Service Designer, my task was to develop and validate a service concept encouraging electronics repurposing, aligning user needs with a viable circular economy model within the UK context.
• Action:
  • I led the team through a Lean UX process, starting with user research (interviews, surveys in the UK) to understand local motivations and barriers around e-waste.
  • This informed our service blueprint and user journey maps. We designed a service for users to catalogue electronics and connect with UK-based charities or recyclers.
  • I spearheaded MVP prototyping (Figma) and crucial stakeholder collaboration with local UK councils, like Charnwood Borough Council, and the Air Ambulance Service.
  • We conducted market testing directly in Loughborough Market, setting up a stall to validate the user journey with nearly 50 potential local users. Iteration was constant.
• Result:
  • The concept was validated, securing £5,000 in funding from Ford and winning the challenge.
  • User validation showed clear UK demand for an easy, impactful e-waste solution.
  • My biggest learning was integrating service design thinking with Lean UX for rapid testing in a specific market. It also highlighted the importance of clear communication for aligning diverse stakeholder expectations, a skill I believe is crucial when designing for Ocado's complex OSP and its various partners. My experience understanding the UK market context was invaluable here.