Joke Van Kerckhoven
Joke had only just completed her Masters in Integral Product Development at the College of Antwerp in summer 2007 and was planning a long holiday before starting to write job application letters, when she landed the job of her dreams at Namahn.
How did you find Namahn so quickly?
It was my industry coach at college who knew about Namahn and knew they were recruiting. He thought I fitted the profile they were looking for and vice-versa, that Namahn would fit me.
Fit you?
Yes, for two reasons. The first is what Namahn does: user-centered design. Naturally my degree covered all aspects of product design, but I discovered I was most interested in the users. For example, during my final year, I designed a mobile phone for the visually impaired. I found testing the design with them a particularly stimulating and enjoyable experience. Secondly, at Namahn we work as a team and I’m a team player, through and through.
How much of your work involves meeting users?
Fieldwork is an integral part of UCD. Like all the Namahn designers, I have to be good at catching and analysing what I see in the field, ‘feeling’ the environment in which people work, then translating this into software design that improves their experience. I enjoy the fact that the designs we deliver help companies in so many different sectors to perform better. And for each new project, it’s a question of learning about and adapting to the client’s particular culture and needs.
Is Namahn an unusual working environment?
Although this is my first job, I realize that Namahn is rather atypical. The building, like the company itself, is full of surprises and nothing is static! Life at Namahn is all about variety, vitality, hard yet rewarding work and lots of things happening at the same time. Twice a month, we all get together to discuss every aspect of the business, from project updates to financial questions, and even the recent building works (the start of which coincided with my arrival). Now these works are finished, we have some great new spaces to use. Our design studio is fantastic for client workshops because it allows us to take them away from their everyday working environment and really focus on the project at hand. We are all more creative as a result.
Life outside work is highly valued at Namahn. What do you get up to?
I’m a volleyball player (twice weekly training and weekly match) plus I enjoy seeing friends and going out in Antwerp where I live with my product designer boyfriend. I like to read thrillers for relaxation, and of course I use the Namahn library all the time. There are so many fascinating books here covering every area that interests me at work.
And finally, what is your greatest talent?
I’m stubborn in a good way: when I want something, I really go for it!
