Yeevon Ooi
solving problems through design
It started in the library
My design journey started 15 years ago, when I discovered the field of human-computer interaction from reading The inmates are running the asylum by Alan Cooper. I had just finished my psychology degree and thought ‘wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could apply the understanding of human cognition to the design of computers and systems and technology-things?’
p/s: The University of Otago library is probably one of my favourite libraries ever.
Getting my MSc
That led me to complete a Masters degree in Human-computer interaction at University College London where I learnt everything from ergonomics and usability to systems thinking. I also met a lot of awesome people and made some good friends.
My first UX job
After that, I started my UX career in a UX agency in London. The varied nature of projects and breadth of clients gave me the opportunity to learn and hone many of the methods in the UX toolkit, opening my eyes to the world of creating experiences and solving problems through design.
Startups & big corps
Fast forward from my first UX job, I have since worked in big corporates as well as startups; on complex financial data platforms, data science platforms; and my latest adventure led me to learning about software supply chain at Docker.
What’s next?
I get great satisfaction from working on complex problems with multidisciplinary teams to pull off feats that can only be achieved via the culmination of different people’s expertise.
The problems we face today are getting more and more complex. Designers can play a big role in helping teams breakdown complexity and solve problems in a systemic way.
Climate change is a big problem and I think I have reached a part of my journey where I want to apply my skills to solve problems that I care for deeply. I am searching for my next role where I get to solve climate problems with great people.