Codemate’s Senior UX Designer, Tiina Nykänen, once dreamed of becoming a vet. However, her mother encouraged her to pursue a career in traditionally male-dominated industries, hoping for better career prospects and salaries.
– In my mind, male-dominated fields meant the paper industry or mining, so I told my mum, ‘No thanks.’ I kept saying no, and now here I am, working in IT, Tiina laughs.
Tiina has been with Codemate for over 10 years. She describes her journey into UX design as “accidental” because, during her studies, she did not even know that interface design was a career option. However, as a child and teenager, she was already tinkering with websites as a hobby and modifying themes on IRC-Galleria.
– I used to code CSS and a bit of HTML, and I created themes for friends and even strangers who contacted me on ‘Galtsu.’ I had no idea at the time that this was something you could study or make a career out of,” Tiina recalls.
IRC-Galleria, ‘Galtsu’, is a Finnish social networking platform that gained popularity in the early 2000s, primarily among young people. It allowed users to create profiles, share photos, and customise their personal pages with different themes. Known for its strong sense of community, it was closely linked with the IRC (Internet Relay Chat) network, serving as a social hub for many in Finland during its peak.
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Tiina first encountered Codemate at a careers fair, Pestipäivät, hosted by the University of Oulu, where she got a closer look at the company. She had already applied for an internship elsewhere, but Codemate caught her eye right away.
– At the fair, some of us were invited to the Codemate office where we were asked what we wanted to do. While others were eager to code everything, I was upfront about only wanting to focus on front-end development and the visual side. Even in school, I knew back-end development wasn’t for me, Tiina laughs
She landed an internship at Codemate, marking the start of her career in IT. Initially, designs were done externally, but gradually Codemate began to develop its own design capabilities. Early in her career, Tiina’s role evolved from just coding to coding her own designs, and eventually, she moved solely into design work.
What does a UX designer’s workday look like?
Tiina’s workdays as a UX designer vary depending on the project phase. If Codemate handles the entire project, the process usually begins with a research phase, meaning interface design can wait for a while .
– During the research phase, I might not even open the design software, Figma. Interviews and research are interesting but can also be quite intense due to tight schedules and compiling reports. Fortunately, there are now well-functioning tools available for conducting remote research, which can be utilised as needed depending on the challenge at hand, Tiina explains.
After the research phase, the user’s flow is considered, and the interface logic is outlined with simple wireframes. During the conceptualisation phase, the client’s business requirements, user needs, as well as technical constraints and possibilities are aligned. Only after this do we move on to the final visual UI designs, and the process also includes design validation together with the users. Tiina mentions that she particularly enjoys designing interface logic, as it requires not only logical thinking and problem-solving skills, but also a strong visual perception and close collaboration with developers, ensuring that the design is as feasible and practical as possible.
– The best part about Codemate is the variety of projects and requirements. Sometimes I design logos or even window decals, other times I work on complex systems made up of multiple applications, and occasionally I design simple form views. The variety keeps the work interesting, Tiina says.
How coding experience helps in UX design
According to Tiina, her coding background is a big help in UX design, not just in communicating with developers but also in doing the work itself. Understanding code gives her insight into how the interface she designs will function technically.
– Sometimes you see layouts with overly complicated solutions or unnecessary elements added just for aesthetics, which don’t serve anyone, Tiina explains.
– As a designer who grew up in a coding house, communicating with developers has become an essential part of my workflow. For instance, when designing a new graphic element, the first thing I do is collaborate with the developer to figure out the most user-friendly and visually appealing component, while also finding a quick and efficient way of implementing it.
Learn more: UX and QA: Two sides of the same coinAt Codemate, you can be yourself and go forward on your career
Despite ending up in a male-dominated field, contrary to her initial reluctance, Tiina doesn’t view the IT sector – or Codemate – as traditionally “male-dominated”.
– There are a lot of different kinds of people and personalities in IT. No one has to fit into a particular mold. Especially here at Codemate, the atmosphere has always been neutral and accepting, and everyone can fully be themselves, Tiina says.
The company actively nurtures its positive atmosphere. In addition to growing her design skills, Tiina has also been involved in planning company events and trips.
– Codemate has had a ‘party committee’ for a long time. When there’s time between projects, it can be spent planning activities together, Tiina says.
Beyond events and trips, Codemate supports employee well-being by giving them the freedom to shape their work and career paths. Codemate encourages personal development in a “Go Forward” spirit, and in Tiina’s case, this has included supporting her studies.
– I wanted to study service design, and Codemate supported me in that. It’s amazing that you can take your career in the direction you want, like when I decided to step back from coding, Tiina enthuses. Currently, Tiina is studying accessibility topics, also funded by her employer.
Balancing work and free time at Codemate
In her free time, Tiina enjoys activities with her dogs, and she also breeds Coton de Tuléars on a small scale. Sometimes her dogs join her at the office, brightening up her colleagues’ day. Tiina greatly appreciates the flexible working hours and the ability to work remotely, even from a hotel room, if needed.
– At Codemate, there’s a strong sense of trust between employees and the company. Sometimes projects can extend the workday, but on the other hand, I can request flexibility when it comes to days off, Tiina says.
– As a breeder, that flexibility is crucial because dogs don’t ask when it’s a good time to go to the vet or on a breeding trip. Sometimes you have to travel across the country in the middle of the week to meet up with a stud dog, and in those situations, it’s fantastic that I can take my work with me!
It’s this flexibility and support that have made Codemate more than just a workplace for Tiina – it’s a place where she has been able to truly grow and thrive.
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