Hello! My name is Romain, and I’m 32 years old. I’m the UX/UI Designer at Dether. I have a rather atypical background. I did a lot of things before developing my skills in UX/UI design. I have always been attracted to the idea of creating attractive visual content, so I’ve had the opportunity to work on personal projects related to website design, graphic charters for associations, and promotional posters.
I started by building up my knowledge professionally as a textile designer at a streetwear brand. This experience made a major impression on me. Every day demanded a dose of creativity. I was always looking for the t-shirt design that would strike our customers. I also had the opportunity to work in the visual universe of the music industry. I designed album covers, websites, and merchandise. I had the chance to meet a lot of artists with whom I was able to exchange and understand their needs.
I was then the design manager in a furniture company for almost two years. I was responsible for the creation of promotional catalogues for suppliers, so I managed two graphic designers in the catalogue creation. It was a founding experience experience in terms of creativity because it allowed me to become very rigorous and organized. Once you publish a catalog you don’t have a second chance — once it’s gone… it’s gone.
My job is divided as follows:
50%: Pure creation
25%: Contact with users and definition of needs
25%: Interaction with developers, interface design and reflection on how to structure the product
The Dether project is a fusion of my two experiences because I have to constantly develop the product to make it as user-friendly and intuitive as possible, while respecting market constraints. So I first need to understand the expectations of users. To do this, I collect and analyse their precise feedback on the product beforehand, via workshops.
Then, I move on to the design and design part of the interface. This work is done in collaboration with the tech team, the sales team (to be sure to respect market constraints), and a graphic designer. We first make a very broad structure, which we then refine more and more.
COMPETITION! It brings out the best in ourselves. For example, I really appreciate the visual universe of Uport, or Status and many others!
I find that the projects in the blockchain ecosystem are very creatively and visually successful — a force that allows us to reach a wider audience and contributes to the mass adoption of cryptocurrencies.
I think the following few key words summarize the qualities needed to be a good full stack designer UX/UI Designer
I think it’s important to get involved in the design community. It’s not enough to keep all of that knowledge to yourself. You learn better when you teach it to someone else or have a discussion about design topics. So I try to:
I still try to expand my toolset in order to become a powerhouse user in my favorite tools. I also still try to learn about new tools that I’ve never used before. I love Adobe Creative Suite, but if there is a tool that has been a real revelation to me it’s SKETCH! It’s a toolkit design with powerful plugins, such as Craft, Zeplin etc… In short, this software covers all features on both Adobe and Illustrator! I quickly became competent in this tool for the Dether project, and today, I can’t do without it!
I’m using:
I do a lot of sports: soccer, running etc… I am very interested in everything related to the IoT. And my real pleasure and visiting museums to take pictures. It may seem trivial, but it helps me to develop my creative spirit.
Thank you for this interview, Romain! Your experience and skills will greatly help the Dether application to be one of the most user-friendly in the blockchain ecosystem.
