Meet Anna Katrine Hoegh Andersen, one of DHI’s first UX Designers who joined us in 2018. Since then, she’s been part of building our UX team and improving our approach to user experience. Find out more about Anna and how she started with UX design in this Q&A.

Hi Anna, please introduce yourself and tell us about your journey with user experience design!

I was first introduced to UX Design during a university course on Design, Business and Strategy. I was fascinated by the concept of human-centered design, and the idea that design goes beyond aesthetics and is driven by functionality. For instance, a well-designed chair isn’t just visually appealing, it’s also comfortable and ergonomic. To design such a chair, you need to first understand human anatomy and the context in which it will be used and sold, then you can start experimenting and testing different shapes and material.

Similarly, a well-designed software interface isn’t just about colours and shape of buttons; it’s about guiding users seamlessly through a flow. To quote a famous UX guru, Don Norman, ‘Good design is actually a lot harder to notice than poor design, in part because good designs fit our needs so well that the design is invisible.’ I would say this realisation was the epiphany of my career and since then I have practiced and preached the impact of design.

What do you find most rewarding about being in UX design, and what do you enjoy most about working at DHI?

I enjoy the role most when I see the impact of involving UX early in a project. In software development, there is a natural tendency to focus on the technical possibilities and very quickly finding solutions. I find it exciting to make a difference by introducing a process that focuses on what to build before we dive into how to build it. At DHI, I really appreciate the scientific and complex nature of the software we create. It’s a great challenge to merge highly specialised user needs with complex technical requirements and turn these into simple and intuitive solutions. I also enjoy being exposed to our different domains, whether it’s operating systems for offshore wind operators or environmental data visualisation. 

What are some common misconceptions about UX design that you or your team have encountered, and how do you address them?

That’s a very good question, because there are a lot and it’s quite a challenge. Here are a few misconceptions: 

• ‘To save money and time, we should only involve UX Design when we have a feature specification.’ 
  While this approach may seem cheaper, it comes with a risk of building features that are not priorities by users and aren’t profitable. The full potential of UX Design is only unfolded when UX is guiding the process from user insights (and market insights) to concepting. As a Product Owner on a large-scale development project put it, ‘Having designers ensures we build the right thing, thus decreasing the waste in software development. Having designers saves money, not the other way around.’
• ‘UX Design is just about the look and feel.’
  Design isn’t just about how things look but more importantly, it is about functionality. When engaging in this type of task, we usually include optimisation suggestions for information hierarchy and general navigation to have a bigger impact on the overall user experience. We certainly take pride in making DHI’s software look professional and by streamlining designs according to our guidelines, we can create a more unified experience for our clients. 

Tell us a bit about yourself outside of work!

As a busy mom, I'm always looking for ways to streamline the little routines in my day, and my UX mindset definitely comes in handy. Like making coffee with one hand. I’ve optimised the whole process to make it a seamless experience: my coffee cups aren’t stored with the glasses, and the coffee grounds aren’t hidden away with the pasta. Everything I need is right by the coffee maker. It’s a simple adjustment, but it’s made my mornings smoother.

Complete this sentence: ‘If I were not working in the field of user experience, I might find myself…’ 

… as an Architect (not tech but physical buildings) or something within finance, which would have been the natural path following my bachelor's. However, I feel that I've found exactly the right path and I’m excited to continue unfolding the potential impact of UX Design across even more levels at DHI.