After studying the UX module as part of my Industrial Design course during my second year at university, I knew this was the area of design I wanted to work in and the community I wanted to contribute to. Fast forward four years and I find myself working as a UX Designer at Newt, no better company to kick start my UX career.

So, what’s a typical day at Newt like for a UX Designer?

As cliched as it may sound, no two days are the same. The tasks and challenges I face mean I am constantly learning and solving new problems. Sure I might spend a week working on Axure building a prototype, but that prototype is in a constant cycle of iteration. One day I would focus on the functionality, the next I would be ensuring all the buttons and text fields are positioned pixel perfect.

Typically, I arrive into the office between 9/9.30am, depending on whether I decided to walk the final part of my commute or embrace the close confines of the Northern Line. After grabbing some water (sorry everyone, I don’t drink coffee) I check my emails, Slack and our project Trello board, to catch up on the work from the day before and to create a plan of action for the day or week.

At the moment I am working on a nine week project which is made up of a series of design sprints. Starting with our daily team catch up, we discuss and prioritise the tasks for the day and the outcomes required for the next client meeting or sprint deliverable.

Returning to my desk with my to do list I begin to meet my day’s goals. At the moment this is designing and building an interactive prototype in Axure for our client. Working closely with Zoe, our Visual Designer, who is simultaneously creating the final visuals for the system, we inform one another on the function and form. I describe the features and content, while she directs me with style and positioning.

Throughout the day I will have meetings and sketching workshops with Alex, the project lead, where we discuss new ideas or just talk through any new challenges or project requirement. Client meetings are another vital part of my day, allowing us and our client to ask questions, have meaningful discussions and to showcase our work.

5.30pm normally marks the end to my day, though this can vary. Regardless of the time I finish I do the reverse of how I started, updating the Trello board, checking any emails and organising my tasks for the next day.

As a UX Designer, a typical day at Newt allows me to do the things I am most passionate about; understanding and solving problems, providing opportunities to learn and helping our clients meet their business and project needs.

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