Gertjan

What do you do at Wieni?

My official job title is visual interface designer. I focus mainly on the aesthetic part of design. I make designs in Figma that serve as the basis for the websites and web apps that Wieni builds. Visual design is rarely the final deliverable. It is more a manual or conversation starter for the development team. It can manifest itself as fully designed screens, clickable prototypes, wireframes,... But next to that I also stay involved during development to provide feedback when needed.

What did you do before?

When studying Graphical Design at Sint-Lucas Antwerp I needed to do an internship during my master year. As I liked digital design more than print design, I chose a company where I could do that. This company was Wieni.

How is design defined at Wieni?

Design at Wieni is about more than just the visual aspect. It encompasses the conceptual phase as a whole. We always seek the best digital translation of our clients' needs and goals. This can go from paper prototyping to wireframes, pixel perfect designs, component libraries, design systems, clickable prototypes,... We always come up with a bespoke solution.

How did you improve Wieni?

When I started at Wieni, the focus was mainly on development. There was no such thing as a design team. A few years further, I dare to say that we improved a lot when it comes to design. We have a strong design team with talented people. And I hope I made my contribution to this evolution.

How difficult is it to work together with developers as a designer?

It is not hard. On the contrary. It is fun and challenging. The interplay between design and development is one of the best aspects in my work at Wieni. I learn as a designer a lot from developers about how websites work and how to come up with the best designs possible. It is also a joy to see how they bring the design to life and how they come with new ideas and proposals to bring it to a higher level. Which is great inspiration to use on new projects and designs.