Ella

What do you do at Wieni?

I’m a UX and UI designer, mainly focused on developing concepts and translating them into interface designs. I always try to prototype ideas, so they become tangible as quickly as possible.

Lately, I’ve also been working more on branding. What I enjoy most is starting from an idea, writing it out, and then using AI to quickly turn it into prototypes. It helps me experiment and find efficient ways of working.

I like being involved in both the conceptual side and the execution. That first sprint, where ideas start taking shape into something real, is the most exciting part for me.

What did you do before Wieni?

I graduated in June and started at Wieni right after. During my studies, I was always doing freelance projects on the side. That ranged from web design and development in Framer to graphic design like flyers, posters, and visual identities.

I also worked on a lot of passion projects, experimenting with different mediums. Things like projection mapping, 3D animations, and even building physical installations.

One of the most interesting projects I did was for Museum M in Leuven, where I created an interactive installation for Museumnacht. It included three large screens and MIDI keyboards that allowed visitors to manipulate visuals in real time, combined with a live music performance I gave myself.

Why Wieni?

I was looking for something that felt more creative and less rushed than other agencies. Other places I checked were SaaS-focused, and corporate-oriented, while I was looking for more variety and depth in my work.

Wieni immediately felt different. It has a friendly, almost family-like atmosphere instead of a corporate vibe. There was also a personal connection, since my dad already knew Jelle, which made it feel more familiar from the start.

During my interview, I even ended up talking about music with Bart, which says a lot about the culture here.

What I also really like is the connection to Craftzing. It gives you access to a bigger network and more opportunities to learn, while still working in a smaller, close-knit team. It really feels like the best of both worlds.

Another thing that stood out is how fast things move internally. I mentioned that I was interested in branding, and a week later I was already working on branding tasks.

What kind of work excites you the most?

I’m still figuring that out. My interests change quite often, and I like that. I enjoy doing a lot of different things and continuously learning.

Ideally, I want to be multi-disciplinary and not limit myself to one type of work. Right now, I’m especially interested in combining concept work with AI and finding smarter workflows.

Which tools can’t you live without?

Figma is my main design tool. I also use AI tools like Claude and Lovable a lot, especially for experimenting and speeding up my workflow. And Slack, of course, for communication.

What’s a unique skill you have?

I think I have a strong gut feeling, both in music and design. I can usually sense quite quickly whether something works or not. The challenge is then figuring out how to turn that feeling into a concrete solution.

Who is Ella outside of Wieni?

Outside of work, I’m mainly a musician. I just got a record deal and a booker, and I perform regularly which I really like doing. After work, I usually go straight into rehearsals. It’s very much a “5 to 9 next to a 9 to 5” kind of rhythm. Besides that, I’m also a dog mom and a partner, so my time is quite full.

What do you want to learn in the next 12 months?

I want to go deeper into AI, especially in a design context. I’m also interested in learning more about components and design systems, and how we can connect content blocks more intelligently to branding.

Ideally, I’d like to build more automated workflows and remove as many repetitive tasks as possible. Anything I don’t enjoy doing manually, I’d like to automate.

Lightning round

1. Stand-up or async updates? Stand-up

2. Deep work: morning or late sprint? Morning

3. Animations: subtle or over the top? Over the top

4. Tabs or spaces? Spaces

5. Dark mode or light mode? Light mode

6. Remote or office? Remote

7. Coffee, tea, or lemon water? Coffee, then lemon water

8. City or nature? Nature

9. Favorite season? Spring

10. Music, podcast, or silence while working? Podcast

11. Notion or pen and paper? Notion

12. Pair programming or solo building? Pair

13. Podcast, book, or blog for learning? YouTube tutorials

14. Most-used keyboard shortcut? CMD + Z