What is UX Design? First of all, UX stands for User Experience. A user experience describes all aspects, impressions and experiences which a user will have with a product or service. In the case of GDF, UX design means the frontend design of our digital tools, which are then used by our customers. UX Design Expert Micha shares his daily business at the GDF with you.
Creative – Efficient – Aligned
The core task of a UX designer is to create frontends. This task is divided into two aspects. On the one hand, there is the creative field, where you can design frontends on your own. On the other hand, in a large company like Allianz, you are guided by certain design specifications. This enables the creation of individual frontends that are, however, consistent in design with other Allianz applications.
UX Design Tooling
Of course, for creating frontends certain tools are needed. As a UX designer at the GDF, you work with a quite large and complex tool stack. The most important tools are Sketch as a graphic tool and inVision for design prototyping. Abstract is used for communication.
See an overall view of the GDF's most important tools here.
You remember Building Blocks? Our internal system approach which is used to compose the various frontend designs. The most important thing about the GDF Design Libraries is, that they are globally available and enable consistency across the company.
Did you know that we open sourced one of our design librarys last year?
One day in the life of a UX Design Expert
One UX Designer usually works on one Project. For example a sales journey or a motor claims journey.
Get more insights into Allianz Journeys here
Basically the day consists out of two parts. On the one hand, it is about the maintenance and expansion of the various design libraries. One of the most important To Do's is done right at the beginning of the day. Micha checks what's new in terms of design systems and applications. While working on a project, new demands to extend the design system come up repeatedly. At GDF you don't just develop new frontends for yourself, but share them with the team for general use.
On the other hand, work is done on projects, by holding sessions with different business stakeholders such as Allianz OEs, in which wireframes will be created. One of these projects could be the extension of a sales journey, for instance.
To clarify: Allianz Germany offers a car insurance product in its sales journey. This journey should now be extended by another line of business. The frontend should now also show life products such as life insurance.
In general, regular design reviews, called Global Product Design Reviews, of frontend products are conducted. In these reviews, changes are discussed and decisions are made. The good thing about this is, that all stakeholders such as business stakeholders, technical experts, UX experts and project manager come together to do so.
Good to know: An UX Designer is involved over the whole project process, from creating the idea over evaluation up to implementation.
How to become a UX Designer and what is the best of it
Every job has its own specific requirements, so here's Micah's skillset tip for upcoming UX designers at the GDF:
· Designing, designing, designing – Be experienced as a designer so you have the ability to creatively develop solutions
· Be open for some technology too, to also work with a complex design toolstack
· Have fun exchanging ideas with others, sharing your work, and being convinced of it yourself
· Be proactive - enjoy approaching people
· Have a creative mind as well as the ability to abstract and standardize things
“The best thing on being an UX Designer at the GDF is combining creative work with the structure, generalistic approaches an industrialized flair of a big concern. The innovative environment opens up a certain amount of flexibility, but the final result has to fit into the big picture. You are influencer of every individual product as well as you are part of the whole business development.”
You want to become an UX Designer at the GDF? Then check out our current open positions or apply initiative! Jobs