Christine Avesen Balatbat is an independent UX Design and Research consultant hired by agencies and tech companies to conduct user research or help implement the human-centered design process in their workflow. She has over 6 years of experience, I have handled numerous global and local UX projects with stakeholders, product managers, designers and engineers.
- Tell us something about yourself or anything that people doesn’t know yet about you.
- How did you get into UX and why?
- What does your workspace look like?
- What tools or devices are you using when working on a project?
- What’s your process like?
- Plan – to define the primary and secondary research questions by the team, discuss how much time and budget we have then select a research methodology
- Recruit – to determine how to get participants for the research project
- Conduct – to carry out the research methodology
- Analyse – to create insights out of the data gathered
- Present – to communicate the insights of the research project to the team
- Where do you find ideas or inspiration for your work these days?
- What project/s are you working on now?
- Share one or two projects that you are proud of and how you made it
- What do you do to step outside your comfort zone?
- Who’s your design hero or someone you look up to? Why? What works did you like?
- What’s it like working as an Intern UX designer?
- What are the challenges that you are facing & how do you overcome them?
- What can you tell those people who are doubtful of learning or exploring their skills?
- What skills does one need to have to survive in the creative industry?
- What advice can you give to people who aspire to become a UX Designer?
- How can people reach you?
I was born and raised in Dubai then studied in California and Toronto for two years. Philippines always felt like my home so I asked my parents if I could stay here for good. Aside from UX, I’m also a professional makeup artist. You can checkout my work at www.christineavesen.com . Lastly, the ocean is my second home and I explore it by free-diving during weekends in Batangas.
My brother was a web designer and we have an 8-year gap. He always told me stories on User Experience and how it’s important to design with the customer in mind. I was in high school during that time. I looked for Human-Computer Interaction courses in the Philippines but there were none. I opted for Information Technology to learn how digital interfaces were built.
I don’t have a single workstation. My work right now involves a lot of travelling to and from our offices and research sites. We do have a war room which is utilised when we discuss research insights.
It depends on the requirements of a project. My basic UX toolkit would be a laptop, Microsoft Office, recording device, still camera, notebook, post-its, and markers. I prefer to keep my equipment light since our team is mobile.
My main responsibility for the company I work for is Design Research. Each research project must go through five steps: plan, recruit, conduct, analyse, and present.
In terms of UX process, I don’t see it as my own. Deciding on what UX process to go for depends on the current process and roles in a company. I prefer to recommend an approach that I think would fit then iterate with the team. It’s important to encourage people to be involved since UX is a team sport.
Pool or the sea! Being in the water instantly clears my mind. If I’m stuck in the city then I’d go to a park, sit under a tree, and do nothing. The best ideas come when you’re in a relaxed state. If I’m high-strung then I do Muay Thai.
Bank, Real Estate, Navigation
Establishing a centralised UX research process in OLX PH. I started by assessing the current process then tried out different solutions with the Product and Engineering department. We kept the new process that worked best and iterated. It was a team effort! It wouldn’t have been possible without their enthusiasm and open minds.
I just step outside without thinking about it. Overthinking causes me to step inside.
Locally, Angela Obias-Tuban since her forte is Design Research and she’s not selfish in sharing her knowledge to anyone. I loved her work in ABS-CBN. I never knew how data-driven media companies were!
Internationally, Whitney Hess. I looked up to her ever since high school. She was the reason I learned the breath of UX. At first I thought it was about wire-framing and prototyping only but her article on what a UX designer strive to be moved me.
Exciting at the same time nerve-wracking! It was my first time to see how UX is done by a professional. I learned a lot about visual and interaction design.
The challenges I face right now are the same as years ago. It’s still communicating the value of understanding your customer needs and pain points. Most businesses are afraid to invest in customer research due to budget constraints. It’s my job to work with what they have. That would mean you won’t be able to do the fancy in-lab usability tests or get to use expensive equipment. Start small, tie your insights to business metrics, and build your case slowly with the team.
To not be doubtful. The only person that can hinder your growth is yourself. Even people we idolize have their own weaknesses and strengths. You have to be comfortable in your own skin and work around your quirks. At the end of the day you are your own cheerleader.
Storytelling, there’s no use in having research if you can’t communicate your insights effectively. There are people who can sell illogical businesses cases but are still convincing because they know how to speak the language of stakeholders.
Be patient, you won’t be able to do great work right away and that’s okay. Take it as a learning experience and continuously challenge yourself to be better.