The Post: Lead User Experience (UX) Developer at Synergy Learning
The Post Holder: Stephen Sharpe
An eye for detail and adaptability are crucial to Stephen Sharpe’s role as a Lead UX Developer.
Give a brief outline of your career to date.
I started working in the tech industry as a freelance graphic designer in 2010 and over the next six years, developed a portfolio of work across a variety of sectors. In 2016 I gave up the single work life to join Synergy Learning, specialising in providing web solutions for learning platforms. I progressed to a senior User Experience (UX) role three years later and was promoted to lead the UX team in 2020.
What was your favourite subject at school?
I loved Art & Design. My school (Lismore Comprehensive) had the privilege to work directly with industry level graphic designers who provided after school classes in using graphical software. Most notably for the Adobe fans out there, Photoshop 7.
Did you go on to further/higher education, if so, what did you study and where?
If I’m honest, education was never my forte. I barely scraped by to get into the University of Ulster where I studied Interactive Multimedia Design, though it was short-lived. I left after two years to pursue my career. I already had my feet firmly in the freelance door where my priorities shifted from completing modules to building a client base and getting paid for work that I loved.
How did you get into your area of work?
I was always drawn to helping people get the best out of a product or a service. I loved working in graphic design but felt the solutions I offered were limited. I wanted to take those creative juices and combine them with something that could be interactive, provide greater value and could evolve over time. After a few years self-teaching the foundations of web development, I was able to add this to my suite of technical solutions. I then took this experience to Synergy Learning where I’ve been able to express all these attributes with customers on a global scale.
Is this what you have always wanted to do?
I always wanted a career that allowed me to be creative on a digital platform. I also wanted a job that allowed me to see positive results that come from impactful and meaningful work. I never imagined working directly with the user of a product that I had created and seeing/hearing how much value it brings to them.
Were there any particular essential qualifications or experience needed?
Qualifications in an IT-related field will give you a great foundation for most jobs related to UX development. Although like me, if you don’t have one – being able to demonstrate your technical skills in an online portfolio, combined with an ability to deliver for customers and showcasing their feedback goes a long way. Don’t shy from those crucial soft skills that make you stand out to an employer either – a drive to always improve, being accountable, taking constructive feedback, building resilience and helping others.
Are there alternative routes into the job?
There is no straightforward route. Each path requires a considerable amount of time invested into learning (and mastering) a web language. You don’t need to know everything but know enough to demonstrate your ability to learn quickly and keep up with change.
What are the main personal skills your job requires?
You need an eye for detail in matching design concepts and translating that into code. Adapting to change in an ever-growing tech industry is key for not just maintainability, but innovation. The ability to work directly with a customer and see their vision is a must. As UX lead, my responsibilities have shifted from being less hands-on to working more strategically with the company vision, helping my team achieve their goals and leading by example in the work I produce.
What does a typical day entail?
Every day is unique as it is guided by the projects I’m involved in. Most days I find I’m working directly with a customer on a solution, writing code, bringing concepts to life, collaborating with a developer, or helping to improve an internal process or workflow.
What are the best and most challenging aspects of the job?
One of the best parts is seeing that we’ve not just delivered but wowed a customer and exceeded their expectations. I also love the mentoring aspect of my role and the satisfaction of guiding others to succeed. The one challenge can be keeping up with the latest web trends. Web technology is moving faster than ever so it requires all hands-on deck as a team to digest and share the most appropriate knowledge to better the solutions for our customers.
Why is what you do important?
Knowing that my technical skills and passion for UX are directly making a difference in how someone learns online is invaluable.
How has Covid-19 impacted your business/role?
The pandemic accelerated Synergy Learning’s existing plans to develop a remote-first, asynchronous working model. However, the team missed each other and getting used to the social norm of only meeting online took a while, but our #funteam did an amazing job in putting together creative initiatives to keep spirits high and the craic going.
What adjustments have you had to make?
Only good adjustments! The biggest one being a move to a flexible hybrid working arrangement which aims to better support our work-life balance, whilst remaining present for our customers and consistent in our project deliverables. For me, this means being able to do daycare and train station transfers for my daughter Heidi and wife Natalie, which I love. Our newly opened collaborative Hub in Belfast’s Titanic Quarter is also new and is a great support when I want to meet my team face-to-face to collaborate, create or simply catch up in person.
What advice would you give anyone looking to follow a similar career path?
Getting a qualification in an IT-related degree will give you the best start and the easiest opportunity through your placement year to work in a commercial environment. If university isn’t for you, build an outstanding portfolio of work and document your journey – you don’t need a customer base to achieve this. Learning a number of technical skills in 2022 is easier than ever, so use the online resources available and read the top-rated books to give you the best foundation.
If you weren’t doing this, what would you like to do?
I was always a creative person who loved working in a digital environment, so I would have jumped on the technological bandwagon in some other sector of work. Possibly a photographer, or a technical area within the film or music industry.
What is the one piece of advice you would give to yourself on your first day?
Don’t feel intimidated by the experience or level of those around you. They all have their own story and journey in how they got to where they are now. On my first day at Synergy Learning I watched in awe of two developers moving at the speed of light to write code and install the required software and tools I needed to do my job. Today, I’m that person doing the same thing for new recruits.
Describe your ideal day off.
If it’s one of the few good days of the year, you’ll find me at the beach with my wife and daughter. Then to somewhere new for grub, a strong coffee and good music.
And finally, what’s the key to any successful job search?
Salary isn’t everything and shouldn’t be the key decider when choosing which offer to accept or where to apply. Research the company values, culture, wellbeing initiatives and how they will value you. You’ll spend a large part of your life in the working world so it’s important to find that second family.
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