Essense Employee Spotlight

This week, we introduce you to Simiao, our Product Design Lead here at Essense Partners.

1.???? What is your role here at Essense?

My name is Simiao. Now I’m the Product Design Lead for Essense and have been with Essense for more than 6 years. Our product team works to create compelling experiences that are grounded in user data and business goals while carefully designing within technical constraints to deliver on the user’s needs.

2.???? Describe an innovative project you have worked on at Essense.

I’m proud of the work I did for Irth Solutions: the UtiliSphere mobile app and web platform redesign.

UtiliSphere is a SaaS platform for protecting critical network infrastructure, which is trusted by the largest energy, utility, telecom and media companies in the United States and Canada. The platform serves more than 15 organizations and hundreds of teams, but different organizations have various workflows and use the platform in different ways. One of the challenges of this project is how to balance consistency and flexibility, complexity and simplicity, solve common problems and empower all teams and organizations. Another challenge is that the platform has been running for decades and has huge amounts of back-end information. We need to take the most creative design approach to maximize optimization without breaking the existing information architecture within technical constraints.

I partnered with our team members to conduct several interviews with both clients and customers from different organizations to drive our planning phase. This phase allows us to define project milestones, audit the existing platform, understand our client’s vision, prioritize features on our product road map and begin research into user needs, behaviors, job duties, working environment and pain points.

Based on our research, we introduced some new features to solve users’ pain points and did some major UX optimizations, including creating a seamless experience between map and list; adding an alternative pin display to satisfy different users’ needs; re-designing the task card for a clearer information display; creating a more helpful, intuitive and customized way to search, filter and sort; and providing route optimization for better team collaboration and resources management.

We’ve also built a design system that is scalable for future growth and is feasible from a technology perspective.

3.???? Tell us about how you and your team collaborated to complete the project. What’s your process?

With product manager:

Collaborative planning and prioritization: I worked closely with the Product Manager to understand the product vision, goals and user requirements. I helped prioritize design tasks based on product road map.

Feedback exchange: I had regular communications with the Product Manager to align design decisions with business goals and users’ needs.

Iterative process: I engaged in an iterative process with the Product Manager to refine and improve the product based on clients’ and users’ feedback.

With development teams:

Design handoff: I provided detailed design specifications, assets and documentation to the development teams for implementation.

Collaborative problem-solving: I worked closely with developers to solve technical challenges, providing guidance and making design adjustments as necessary.

Feedback loop and QA session: An ongoing feedback loop is maintained to ensure that the final product aligns with the intended design, and to address any technical constraints.

With other designers on the team:

Collaborative design: I collaborated with other designers on the team to brainstorm ideas, share feedback and ensure a cohesive and consistent user experience.

Mentoring and guidance: I provided guidance and mentorship to other designers, helping them develop their skills to match their career goals and align their work with the overall design strategy.

Design reviews: I conducted regular design reviews with the team that helped ensure quality and consistency in the design work across various product components.

4.???? In your opinion, what sets Essense apart from other companies in terms of fostering innovation?

Industry expertise: Essense Partners has industry expertise with a deep understanding of the industry’s unique challenges and opportunities. This expertise leads to more tailored and innovative solutions for our clients.

Research and insights: Innovation often based on a solid foundation of research and analysis. Essense Partners has always invested in market research and data-driven insights to inform our digital strategy, visual identity, product design and development. And we are able to convert all these complex concepts into a strategy and design that perfectly balance aesthetic delight, product value, user needs, technical constraints and business outcomes.

Client-centric approach: The energy and utility sectors are always seen as traditional and outdated industries. Essense Partners does a great job on filling the gap and helping these companies to do digital transformations and demonstrate they are not behind the times. All of these successes stem from prioritizing understanding our clients’ specific needs and challenges.

5.???? What is your favorite part about working at Essense?

Hands-on experience: Essense has a small team, and I’m wearing multiple hats and have a broader range of responsibilities. It allows me to gain valuable experience in various areas, which is very beneficial for my career growth.

Impact and recognition: My contributions are more visible at Essense than they would be at a bigger company, and efforts are often recognized and appreciated. I can work on one project from scratch to launch and I have ownership through the whole process, which can be very motivating and rewarding, as I see the direct impact of my work on the company's success.

Close-knit team: In Essense, our smaller team has a stronger sense of camaraderie and a close-knit working environment. It leads to stronger relationships with my co-workers and a more enjoyable work atmosphere. I have made a couple of lifelong friends in Essense.

6.???? Is there anything else you would like to add about your experience at Essense?

1. I joined Essense in 2017 and built the team from a few people to a large multidisciplinary design team. It has been challenging to build a diverse and multidisciplinary design team like the one we have in Essense. Not only are they terrific designers, but they also challenge me and I learn something from them every day.

2. I joined Essense as a Senior Motion Graphic Designer, with a primary focus on crafting compelling visual stories through dynamic animations and captivating visual effects. After that I was promoted to be an Art Director, which allowed me to engage with a diverse spectrum of creative projects. About 3 years ago, Essense started moving aggressively into the realm of digital experiential design. In response, I made a transition to the role of Product Design Lead. This transition has not only expanded my horizons but also highlights Essense’s commitment to fostering innovation and allowing me the creative freedom to push the boundaries.

Now I have research, strategy and design (graphic design, illustration, motion graphic design, product design) arms all in one. This multifaceted approach requires considerable personal effort, including dedicated self-learning outside of working hours. However, it is also a reflection of Essense’s supportive culture, which encourages continuous growth and exploration of possibilities across different design fields.