Questions to help designer find the IKIGAI— 1st Part

Answering questions from Dropbox Culture Kits

Iosi Pratama
5 min readDec 9, 2020

Today when I just googling around the internet, I found resources from Dropbox on Figma.

There are 3 files there. Design Project Templates, Distribute Sprint Kits, and Culture Kits.

When I have a look. Here all those are about.

  • Design Project Templates is about the structure and approach how do we can execute the project. It also contains the Figma file structure that we can apply at our work. The interesting part here is the Project Overview on Overview Page which has critical questions to answer to help do the project better.
  • Distribute Sprint Kits will be helpful for the ideation session with our team. Just like Miro, but on Figma.
  • Culture Kits contains an interesting method to help designers and team find the IKIGAI within the work. In the conversation cards section, there are many great questions to forced me to reflect and think again as a UI UX Designer.

In this writing, I’ll try to answer those questions. Let’s start with the first question that I found.

If you were forced to take time off from your work to learn a new skill, what would it be?

Learn Adobe Illustrator to design illustration, icons, and any other graphics. I know this will support my digital product skill set. But, till now I don’t make much progress on it yet.

It’s a combination between I don’t have time and energy, then also I have another priority at the moment.

When I do need illustration and icons for my freelance project, I either ask my friend to helps me design it or download from design resources out there.

That still possible.

But, I really want to have my own still of icons and illustration someday so I can craft it custom based on my needs.

What advice would you give to your younger self?

My advice for 18 years old me when I starting as a UI UX Designer would be

  • Imitate great design out there as many as you can, so you know how those things are made. Learn the pattern. Observe what make those good design.
  • Join many UI UX Events, so you get the latest insight into the product design industry. Besides that, also good to have friends or know somebody that already experienced.
  • Freelance project and side-project are matter. Do that in your free time. It will boost your skillset both of hard skill and soft skill.
  • Be humble and always learning. Don’t have a mindset to be an expert in a short time. You need to deal with the progress. It takes a long time.

If you could do any job in the world what would it be?

Writing a book. Travelling overseas. Building Products and Business. Something in between all of them.

I have been starting writing my book a couple of months ago about typography and personal investment (In Bahasa Indonesia).

But, I stopped writing it about 2 months ago because of my hectic at work and other activities. I hope I continue it next year 2021 and perhaps finish it.

Travelling is also something that I want to do. It would be great if I have a job that supports me to travel overseas.

Building Product since my domain skill is around product design, so it will make sense. Other than that, it will give me many perspectives to be designing a product at the same time I’m also the product owner or client. It forced me to learn business stuff.

If you had a skill set to join any other team or role what would it be and why?

The role would be a Product Design Lead which I lead a design team designing a delightful digital product for the customers.

The skillset will be around

  • Communicate with both internal and external stakeholders about anything related to product design.
  • Advocate and participate in product innovation.
  • Designing simple, easy to use, delightful and magical digital product. Combination of the interface looks like and how does it work.
  • Have a strong empathy and humble response to gather feedback and critics from any person.

What is one thing you hope people would say about your work?

Flawless.

A combination of smooth, engaging and constructive collaboration work meet product design result that crafted beautifully, effective and humanizes.

What is something important to you that your peers might not know about?

I want to work on a project that has principle and idealism. So, not only follow the design from big companies but has enough courage to do something just the way we want.

What was your dream job when you were a kid? How does that compare to what you’re doing now?

Umm, I’m not sure what the exact dream that I want when I was a kid. Some multiples dreams keep changing as time went by.

Architect, Astronaut, and Entrepreneur. Those are the top 3 that I remembered.

Now, I’m a Digital Product Designer. Well, I’m happy and enjoy my current job.

Which of your talent shine in your current role?

Currently, I’m working as a designer at Itsavirus. Together with my fellow designer, We’ve been done various projects.

Each project has its own challenges. But, we can handle it well until the last. In the end, both client and our leader at the office are satisfied with the result.

I’m happy with that.

To answer this question. I would say an ability to understand and clarify the problem from the stakeholders. Then designing the right things with a better strategy in mind.

The impact so far mostly we were doing the project efficiently and effectively.

I think I can answer 8 questions for now. There are still many question on Dropbox Culture Kits. I plan to make it part series.

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