Studi, a 20-year-old company based in Montpellier, is a leader in the Ed Tech industry.
Over the past three years, the company has thrived thanks to the favorable environment created by the Covid crisis and the government's implementation of the Personal Training Account (Compte Personnel de Formation). This has led to a tremendous surge in Studi's revenue and the ability to expand its operations.
To keep up with its rapid growth, Studi has had to rapidly recruit a large number of experts, including external professionals, to fortify its expertise in areas where it may still have gaps.
That's why I joined Studi as a freelance product designer, playing an integral role within the internal design studio. In fact, 100% of the design team is outsourced and works full-time on projects.
As a product designer at Studi, I occupy a pivotal position, bridging the gap between developers and project managers.
Key Responsibilities:
- Continuously improve and evolve the design system
- Create a user-centered product designs for the B2B website
- Bring landing pages to life with visually appealing and effective designs
- Contribute to the advancement of the company's branding efforts
The primary focus of this role is web design, as the educational platform is currently outsourced. However, Studi has a strong desire to bring the design and maintenance in-house.
In this role, I am be responsible for maintaining the optimal performance of Studi's websites, adapting content to meet evolving needs, and collaborating with developers to fix any technical issues. Additionally, I play a key role in shaping the design of future sites, as Studi continues its efforts to expand into new markets, both domestically and internationally, with a particular focus on the African market.
My stakeholders :
- Chief Marketing Officer
- Head of business
- Head of Design/Art director
- Project managers
- Product Owner
- Front-end Team
- Graphic designers
One of the fundamental design prerogatives at Studi is to advocate for the user and to explain the UX method to as many stakeholders as possible, with the aim of increasing conversion rates and positive user feedback.
This is why I was recruited by the head of design. The company is well aware of the backlog in this area, but despite this, there is still some resistance from teams to adopt new processes. This is where product designers come in to gently evolve mindsets by factually demonstrating the benefits of new user-centric approaches.
Therefore, there is a lot of emphasis on being pedagogical and explaining one's role and working methods to colleagues, especially to commercial and marketing teams. The company still has a relatively low level of UX maturity (as outlined in the sidebar), which is critical to raise before incorporating the design of the educational solution in-house.
Current UX Maturity: A Thriving Stage in the Development Process
We have reached Stage 3 of UX Development, where the focus is on establishing a strong and consistent design system. Our objective is to streamline the UX and bring order to the learning platform, unifying teams and stakeholders alike under a clear and cohesive vision.
Working at a Rapidly Growing Company is exciting but also Demanding, with tasks that are dynamic and always changing. However, it's crucial to be mindful of burnout as the growth often leads to a high level of disorganization, caused by the rapid increase in staff and the need for training that can slow down processes and put pressure on deadlines.
But with a strong and cohesive design team, we can alleviate the stress and efficiently manage the workload.
We have a significant UX debt to repay, but that is what makes the job so challenging and rewarding. Outdated tools like Dartagnan and Unbounce can make the job more difficult for the design team, but our structure is resilient and constantly open to reassessing our approach and seeking new tools to improve the work environment for both internal and external staff.
Accomplishments
- Streamlining mockups and effectively presenting and defending projects
- Achieving pixel-perfect UI designs despite tools challenges
- Overcoming unique challenges and constraints in the field
- Driving a gradual shift in mindsets and attitudes
- Managing an outsourced educational platform
- Consistently delivering high-quality work within tight time and budget constraints
