"Working at TRIMM means having the freedom to do things in accordance with your own personal vision: you can really be yourself at TRIMM"

"Working at TRIMM means having the freedom to do things in accordance with your own personal vision: you can really be yourself at TRIMM."

Nikki de Wals is a User Experience designer at TRIMM. In this interview, she will elaborate on the reason why she chose to work at TRIMM and her personal motivation to develop the ultimate application for grocery shopping.

How did you end up at TRIMM, and, more importantly, why have you chosen TRIMM?

“For quite some time, TRIMM was on my list of organizations I wanted to work at. At my previous employer, I was a designer, but that job just didn’t suit me that well. After I graduated from college, I started working as a graphic designer. However, the focus in this job was mostly on the design itself, and the way the end-user would look at it was less important, where I personally prefer the involvement of the end-user in the process. Even though I had some serious doubts whether or not I should switch jobs – it meant giving up a lot of certainty and security – I don’t regret it at all. The working environment at TRIMM is amazing: people are really involved with each other and open about almost everything. The company also organizes a lot of fun activities for its employees, and the atmosphere at the company is just so relaxed and informal, which makes it the perfect place to work for me. The management of the company gives the different teams a lot of freedom as to what they can and cannot do. At TRIMM we work in small teams, which means designers and developers are seated together, making it easy to consult each other. Many User Experience designers are focused on research, however, TRIMM also gives me the opportunity to experiment and be creative, which makes it easier for me to see what does and what doesn’t work. I also contribute to the projects on a technical level because it influences the UX and the design as well. This automatically means that I’m involved in the entire process.”

What does a usual day at TRIMM look like?

“I’m mainly busy making analyses on an application or a website. After I make the analyses, I further improve them by working them out in a flowchart or an interaction document, which clarifies certain choices and describes the user experience. Naturally, this is always done while keeping the client’s end-user in the back of my head. This is the part of my job I enjoy doing most, to find out how an application works and how we can improve the application. After this, we always sit down with the client and the end-user. I’m the person guarding the interests of the end-user, and the ease in which they can use the application. If the customer’s vision interferes with mine, we work together to come up with the best possible solution. I also feel that honesty towards the customer is very important, meaning that sometimes a redesign isn’t necessary, just some minor improvements.”

What motivates you to be a UX designer?

“It isn’t just my work, but also my hobby and my passion. Process optimization makes my heart beat faster. I take this mindset with me all the time, any kind of process fascinates me and gets me thinking. For example, I’m currently working on a grocery-shopping app, called “Boodschaap”. The reason for me to be doing this is because, according to my own opinion, a well-working grocery-shopping app simply doesn’t exist.”

What in particular do you like about TRIMM as your employer?

“I appreciate the flexibility, there is a lot of room for experimenting. Of course, not everything is possible, but every possibility can be discussed. This gives me the ultimate feeling of freedom and self-reliance. My first day at the office I brought my own office gadgets with me and stalled them on my desk. Nobody reacted weird, instead, most of my co-workers were interested and enthusiastic, haha!”

Great to hear! Can you also tell us your finest memory at TRIMM?

“I think I will have to say that the office breakfast, held because of TRIMM’s 25th birthday, is my finest memory. Everyone talked about their best TRIMM experiences, which confirmed my own trusted feeling I have with TRIMM, mainly because most people have worked here for such a long time. People can do things the way they prefer, and are respected because of it: you can really be yourself at TRIMM.”

How do you keep your knowledge up-to-date?

“I mainly inspire myself on the internet. There are a lot of inspiring videos on YouTube. I also enjoy going to conventions about security or telecom. At those conventions, you come across all kinds of products which allows you to directly see the impact of UX and design on them.”

When are you going home with a feeling of satisfaction?

“When I’m finished with my daily tasks. Most of the times a make I daily to-do list. When I’m finished with those tasks, I go home. I don’t mind working late if that is what it takes to finish my list.”

Do you have any suggestions for a future UX designer who wants to apply at TRIMM?

“Most definitely! Don’t just send your standard application letter and resume, include an interesting portfolio of your work as well, in which you show us the way you work in a process. That’s much more important and interesting to see for us.”

Interested in an internship, graduation project or (part-time) job at TRIMM? Take a look at our vacancies or send in an open application!