by Interview with Giuseppe Veloce, Product Designer
Peers: How would you describe your job to a bunch of five-year-olds?
Giuseppe: I help the guests of the platform to enjoy the experience of learning from the moment they enter (log in) until they leave (log out). Finding the way out should be super simple and easy.
Peers: Why are you passionate about your job?
Giuseppe: To answer that question, I should explain my background – I studied computer science, so I learned the technical side, which is the backend of the platform. Whereas I feel more satisfied when I design something and see the visual right away. I find it cool to see whatever I am doing go live on the platform. For me, it is the most interesting part and that is why I shifted my work from a technical side to design.
Peers: What is the most valuable thing you learned at Peers?
Giuseppe: A way to organize my work – the guide of structured work. I am learning a lot about moving my abstract ideas to something tangible. The way I am approaching it is how to give structure from whatever is on my mind to what you see on the platform.
The whole trick can be described with one word – “empathy”, I must be able to put myself in the users’ shoes. It should not matter how confident a user is with technologies. The platform should be self-explanatory and intuitive.
Peers: What is something that has surprised you about your chosen career path?
Giuseppe: There are so much more details while designing the product than you would expect. The working process and approach of the product designer are extremely user-centric. From my computer science background, I found it a bit surprising.
Peers: If you could only have three apps on your smartphone, which would you pick and why?
I would choose Spotify, it keeps me entertained during the day with music and podcasts. Whatsapp, to connect with friends and family overseas. And my gym app – Freeletics, keeps me active during the lockdown period.