A day in the life ... Raimonda

As ­I emerged out of my home office the other day I was greeted with a question – ‘What was the best thing that happened today?’ It was a day when I moderated six usability tests… My initial answer was going to be – it felt like I ran a marathon and I completed it, with a lot of cheering and support from those who had done it before me. Was that the best thing about my day? Of course it was, but can I choose two best things, or maybe three?

Yes, moderating 6 usability tests gave me a great sense of achievement – because this was the first time I had done it, because I learned so many new things that my head was ready to explode, because we collected lots of insights that would hopefully be valuable for our client. And the sense of achievement was even greater because I had amazing people in the background that made sure I knew I was not on my own, colleagues who were helping to support me to complete the usability test marathon … That does certainly qualify for ‘the best thing that happened today’.

One other best thing about my day was to realise what a privileged position I was in. There are many reasons for that, but there was one that really humbled me that day - having an insight into other people’s world: into their ways of thinking, their way of seeing and their ways of understanding. I spoke to 6 strangers that day and they trusted me - allowed me to have a glimpse into their joys and their struggles, their wins and their losses. While we spoke about the website that was being tested, every conversation was so much more than that because there was a human being with their successes and frustrations, their valuable insights and very much needed expertise. I was humbled and grateful to briefly meet those six strangers and to hopefully enable their voices to have an impact.

Oh, and one more best thing, if I could. My starting point of each conversation that day was that of a learner – equipped with my curiosity I was there to learn from the participants and my colleagues. I like learning and that day I realised again that it can take so many forms and shapes – every conversation is an opportunity to learn, and all depends on how I welcome another person into that conversation, how I hold that space where the dialogue happens, how I ask questions and how I receive the answers. Being open to learning was a helpful way to approach the colleague feedback as well - to welcome it as a space to improve and gain more knowledge from those who are more experienced and knowledgeable. And this is the kind of learning that no UX degree or bootcamp would be able to provide me with.

So, yes, another good day with lots of ‘best things that happened’.