Design Practice #2: Working at Panowie Programiści

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'When someone puts a task in front of me, I'm always thinking about how to do it simpler, better, to find a solution that will allow me to move forward quickly and confidently,' says Ewa Mierzwińska, UX Team Leader and board member of Panowie Programiści, in the Design Practice podcast.

How did your work at Panowie Programiści start?
Ewa Mieżwińska: I came to Panowie Programiści to work as a UX specialist. I was immediately assigned a large, overseas project where everything had to be put together in an express and process-oriented way. It was great because I was able to practice different skills in practice. Four years on, I am a team leader where everyone has a specialised area of responsibility. I take a strategic approach to product development. I oversee the work on all projects.

Working on such a large project must be a professional challenge.
Previously, I worked in corporate structures and had a very limited scope. There I would never have achieved what I did at Panowie Programiści, because here I was faced with the task of building everything from scratch. It was a challenge, but also a great opportunity. To start with, we did everything together with Adrian Holota, our CEO. He also knew UX, so we could count on each other and confront ideas. And we optimised the processes together - it was what we chose to work on that day that determined how the project moved forward, how it gained value.

What kind of people work well in UX? 
Processionality is probably in my nature. When someone puts a task in front of me, I always think about how to make it simpler, better, to find a solution that allows me to move forward quickly and confidently. I don't like templates, I'm always looking for a new solution. I contest frameworks because I believe that you have to analyse the context of each situation and decide what to do next based on that assessment. You don't have to go blindly, you have to know the purpose of the path you are taking.

At Panowie Programiści, you often experiment with new technologies such as artificial intelligence, deep fake, web AR or digital fashion. How do you keep up with market trends? 
We have a very well organised flow of information and inspiration. Once a month, we meet the whole team and share knowledge and experiences with each other. We also have our own internal messenger channel, where we upload interesting case studies or articles. We also do a lot of training. Interestingly, we look for workshop topics not only in Poland, but also abroad, and the knowledge we gain in this way is passed on to other departments, such as our own.

Would you like to listen to the podcast?