My name is Shikha Verma and I’m a user experience designer at Microsoft. I’m working on designing security in compliance experiences for SharePoint and One Drive. I pursued my bachelor’s degree in engineering which I wasn’t keen on as I wanted to get into a more creative field which is why I decided to do a one year course at ISDI Parsons (school of design and innovation). ISDI students have access to a global contemporaneity curriculum enabling students to be design leaders in the future.
I did my master's in interaction design from IIT, Bombay after which I worked at a fintech startup ‘RECKO’ as a product designer which was recently acquired by Stripe. I also did an internship at Google, Bangalore and worked with Godrej and Philips on a few projects.
How did you get this job? Could you tell me about the selection procedure?
Initially, I applied through one of my contacts who put in my name as a referral. However, the application process remained the same. I filled in the details as required on the portal and got a response as they thought I would be the right candidate for this job. There were about 4-5 interview rounds out of which 3 were really identical whereas I was asked to walk them through the internships/achievements listed in my resume and portfolio. The interview also included questions about the design process, how it could be improved and basically my point of view to improve certain loopholes.
There were also a few questions wherein I was given a problem on the spot and was required to brainstorm ideas and solutions to overcome them. They wanted to test my thinking process and the viability of coming up with creative solutions in a short time.
What was your title and responsibility in that job? What were your day-to-day tasks?
I have been working with Microsoft for about 2 years and currently have the title of “User Experience Designer”. It is closely related to a product designer. The difference is viewing the situation from a product perspective. My work entails interacting with product managers and engineers in order to design and deliver innovative features. If you are not familiar with the product department in a company, we usually work in triads which include a strategist who looks at the business aspect, engineers who look after smooth implementation and designers who are the user’s advocates representing the interests of the users.
I interact with the product managers giving them suggestions on which product to make, then come up with creative and attractive designs and also assist engineers in case they need help with fixing or improving some aspects of the product. Personally, the most interesting part for me is designing. There are also several meetings on a regular basis in which we brainstorm ideas, negotiate and come up with viable solutions in case of any obstacle.
What are some of the challenges that you faced? How did you overcome them?
Initially, I did not have a lot of experience working in a corporate or any company before Microsoft. We all had to work remotely which is why I couldn’t observe the company’s culture so everything was really new to me. In the first few months, I wasn’t very well-versed with the ways the company worked as we didn’t get the chance to go to the workplace. It was a little difficult to cope with everything while simultaneously wanting to live up to their expectations. During the process, I made a few mistakes along the way but the management was really supportive and understanding.
Since it’s been 2 years working with Microsoft, I am now familiar with the company, and how it functions and have a clear understanding of my role. There were times when I had meetings with senior product managers and experienced engineers. Being the only designer it was difficult for me to convince them about my ideas. As a designer, I don’t have facts and figures to support everything I say especially when we are building something from scratch.
Over the course of time, I learned that storytelling helps. For instance, putting everyone in the position of a user and explaining to them how to accomplish their needs really helped me convince them of my point of view. My manager once told me, “you either have to convince or get convinced” that’s something that has stayed with me since then. Negotiating and communicating with product managers and engineers had been a bit of a challenge for me which I overcame with experience.
What are some of the skills you require for this job?
Some essential skills would be being creative, having basic design skills and attention to detail. One unexpected skill that I came across was leadership skills as you are representing the user’s interest so you need to be convincing and make sure you are fulfilling their needs. You also need good communication skills for negotiating and identifying problems that others oversee.
Personally, I have great attention to detail skills. My design goes through various departments and people who then observe and analyze every minor problem so each part of the design needs to be up to the mark.
Do you think internships are important for students and why?
Yes, internships are essential for students to gain experience and also get to know their interests better. Gaining practical exposure by exploring different fields is something I would recommend. Usually, when we are in college, we are taught the theoretical approach to problems. However, implementing solutions in the workplace is a completely different ball game.
When I personally did internships it gave me a clear picture of what to expect, how things work practically and which field was I most interested in. Additionally, It also gives you an edge when applying for jobs. With every internship you do, you gain different skills which are what particularly designers look for.