{"id":6828,"date":"2018-06-06T16:42:50","date_gmt":"2018-06-06T20:42:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.brainstation.io\/?p=6828"},"modified":"2020-05-20T17:57:18","modified_gmt":"2020-05-20T21:57:18","slug":"wealthsimples-director-of-product-design-on-the-importance-of-ux","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wealthsimples-director-of-product-design-on-the-importance-of-ux","title":{"rendered":"Wealthsimple’s Director of Product Design on the Importance of UX"},"content":{"rendered":"

In less than four years, the online investment management service <\/span>Wealthsimple<\/span><\/a> has amassed 75,000 customers, raised $165 million in capital from the Power Financial Group, and opened offices in three countries. What\u2019s the secret behind its success? Having a product users love. <\/span><\/p>\n

We recently spoke with <\/span>Gev Marotz<\/b><\/a>, <\/b>Wealthsimple\u2019s Director of Product Design, to get his thoughts on product design, the importance of user experience, and how to adapt to a constantly changing industry.<\/span><\/p>\n

\"Gev<\/p>\n

BrainStation: What initially drew you to product design and <\/b>product management<\/b><\/a>?<\/b><\/p>\n

Marotz: I worked at an agency for a while, and built an incredible design squad. This was a group of energized and multi-disciplinary people who solved complicated problems for tough clients. I really loved solving problems for people on the internet.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s it like working in a product-centric role?<\/b>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Working in a product-centric role is like trying to predict the weather.\u00a0You\u2019ve got information coming at you and what you\u2019re trying to do is make sense of it all. We never really know how our product designs are going to end up being interpreted until it\u2019s in somebody\u2019s hands. Then you make changes. That\u2019s part of what I really enjoy about the work.<\/span><\/b><\/p>\n

Product design and management seems to sit at the intersection of design, technology, and business. Do you need to have a mind for all three to really thrive?<\/b><\/p>\n

Yes, but I’m not amazing at all three. I think the key thing to remember is that everything changes. If you keep that in mind, you\u2019ll want to adapt to the latest technology, constantly improve the methods you use to design, and understand what the business is doing. <\/span><\/p>\n

And if you do that, you can\u2019t help but do well.<\/span><\/p>\n

How would you describe Wealthsimple\u2019s approach to product design?<\/b><\/p>\n

We really focus on users and the <\/span>user experience<\/span><\/a>. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You want people to use your stuff, and they\u2019re not going to use it if it\u2019s not easy to use \u2013 if it\u2019s not designed properly. It\u2019s important to design with a specific group of people in mind; the people you want to use your product. If you take that out of the equation, you\u2019re just guessing.<\/span><\/p>\n

So, our approach to everything is to make things easier for people, whether it\u2019s on the technological side, the design side, or how we write our copy. People already love us \u2013 we want to make sure they keep loving us and new people who come on feel the same way. <\/span><\/p>\n

You\u2019re a <\/b>talented artist<\/b><\/a>. To what extent do you see your role as director of product design as a creative one?<\/b>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Being creative isn’t about being an artist. It’s bigger than that. Being creative is the act of solving problems. Some people solve problems visually. When I paint a picture, my job is to create harmony and balance. When I design products it’s very similar, but it involves way more people.<\/span><\/p>\n

What\u2019s your ideation process like? How do you come up with new ideas?<\/b>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The best ideas come from other people. I start by getting a clear understanding of the deliverables, do a ton of research, come up with as many ideas as I can, and ask a bunch of people what they think. I try to do this quickly as it will take several iterations to get the idea in a place where you’re ready to act on it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How crucial is ongoing education in your field?<\/b>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Continually educating yourself is the only way to stay fresh in this field. You have to reinvent yourself every so often and pounce on new tech and industry trends.
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Have any emerging design trends given you an idea of where the industry could be headed in the coming years?<\/b>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

With the globalization of product design, I think inclusion and accessibility are going to be the next big trends.<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you have any advice for people in your field who want to really boost their skills and stand out?<\/b>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

Specialize. Pick something you care about and really want to do. Then go for it.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n


\n<\/strong>Find out more about BrainStation\u2019s User Experience program<\/a> and part-time courses<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Gev Marotz talks product design, the importance of user experience, and how to adapt to a constantly changing industry. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":6834,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[158],"tags":[190,291,479,478],"yoast_head":"\nWealthsimple's Director of Product Design on the Importance of UX | BrainStation\u00ae Blog<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"We recently spoke with Gev Marotz, the Director of Product Design at Wealthsimple, to get his thoughts on product design, the importance of user experience, and how to adapt to a constantly changing industry.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/brainstation.io\/blog\/wealthsimples-director-of-product-design-on-the-importance-of-ux\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" 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