From Civil Engineer to a Product Designer in one year: Learning How Karolina Does it All (and Stays Sane!)

Untitled Kingdom’s three core values are transparency, quality, and family. So, we’re proud to introduce our family members. Meet Untitled Kingdom’s Product Designer - Karolina! Read what she learned in her first 9 months in the company. Hear about her path from a Civil Engineer to a Product Designer. Learn what figure skating has to do with it and meet her fluffiest coworker.

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What are the 3 best words to describe the Untitled Kingdom?

Consistent: Because we’re truly devoted to our values and beliefs. We only build products that are consistent with our moral and ethical principles.

Trusting: It’s a company that genuinely trusts its employees. I was quickly recognized for my work and entrusted with more responsible tasks. This way, I smoothly became a part of the team and could bring a real difference to our projects.

Fun: Cause we’re about more than work!

I've been here for less than a year but spent countless hours playing board games, drinking wine, and partying with my co-workers. Working or not, in the Untitled Kingdom, we appreciate each other’s company.

What drew you to product development? Have you always worked in this kind of role?

I joined the Untitled Kingdom with hardly any experience. I was studying construction, which had more to do with engineering rather than design. It was an exciting path, but... not exactly what I was looking for.

While having my first experiences as a designer, I realized that I prefer to create visually rather than technically. My interest in psychology, people’s behavior, and decisions has also grown. I decided to redirect my career and teach myself UX/UI, and it was a great decision.

At home, yet at work. Karolina has been with us for 9 months, but she already knows that no home office photo would be complete without our official Untitled Kingdom mug.

How has Untitled Kingdom helped you in your career development?

My Untitled Kingdom co-workers helped me the most during my path from Civil Engineer to Product Designer. They took a lot of time explaining basic concepts in product design, taught me technical jargon, and were incredibly patient when I asked a crazy amount of questions. I can’t thank them enough for all their kindness.

Do you have any hobbies, go-to weekend activities, or long-term passion projects you’re working on?

My greatest passion is figure skating. I was training as a figure skater for 10 years. It was quite a pleasant journey but - as often in this disciple - ended with an injury. A few years later, I returned to this sport… as a coach. I still try to keep up with all the main competitions and follow my favorite athletes. Also, in my free time, I love to do yoga and hiking.

Hiking away. In the Untitled Kingdom, we have 2 yoga classes weekly + weekend hiking trips. When working on projects improving people’s health, it’s good to be in a place that does not let you forget about your own.

If given a chance, who would you like to be for a day?

I may not yet be as clever as him, but... I’ve always wanted to be Sherlock Holmes. Every year, I come back to all the Sherlock Holmes books, movies, and series. So sooner or later, I’ll easily reach his level of being observant… or just close enough, won’t I?

Why such a choice? Believe it or not, but I think he and I share a few common traits. Ever since I was young, I’ve always been passionate about observing minor things in life: my surroundings, the people around me. So I’ve always admired Holmes for being remarkably mindful and present at the moment and carry that inspiration with me.

What was the first concert you attended?

Imagine Dragons, 2016, the Polish city of Łódź.

It’s hard to describe, but it looked about like this: 👱🏼‍♀️👱🏼‍♀️ + 👨🏼‍🎤🐉🐉 = ✨✨✨✨

How do you describe your work personality vs. your home life personality?

I think “me” at work is way more extroverted than “me” at home. So all the conversations in the office or… just the constant state of being ready to have conversations do increase my energy level and make me feel more open - to the surroundings, to myself, to work ahead of me.

At home, I tend to be more lost in my thoughts. I have always lived far away from the city, so now I appreciate all the moments of stillness. This helps me to become more calm and patient.

But I love being among my co-workers and being alone equally. I need both to do my best work.

“I’m not saying that the fluffiest of my co-workers is my favorite. But I’m also not saying she’s not.”

What’s your next step, or a few goals you’d like to accomplish in life or while with the Untitled Kingdom?

My goal is relatively constant - I always try to take care of my body, mind, and people around me. It may sound very childish and simplistic, but I want to be a better person every day for my family, friends, and myself.

This statement is also true while I am in the Untitled Kingdom. I try to improve my skills every day - this boosts my confidence level and makes collaboration easier (at least a little bit) for my co-workers in the Untitled Kingdom.

What was your most challenging yet the most rewarding project at the Untitled Kingdom? Did you use any specific tools to overcome the challenge?

So far, I have participated in 2 projects in the Untitled Kingdom.

The first one was a big challenge. Everything about it was new! But with the support of my team, I listened, took notes, and studied all the processes. I thought I was ready to go.

But the second undertaking turned out to be an internal project - it was even more of a learning curve! I got to work on my own and be 100% responsible for my tasks. I experimented, failed, and learned from it. It worked!

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Get to know us (even) better!

If you want to work with fast-learning, inspirational and flexible Product Designers like Karolina… Let’s work together! Thank you for reading this article. Feel free to share it with your peers!