Gorjan has been working in a great position, as a team leader at Booking.com in Amsterdam, but he decided to dedicate himself to his digital product – the AirCare application.
He is also an activist and instructor at the UX/UI Design Bootcamp 🤘
We talked with Gorjan about the path a product takes from an idea to a product, creating something of his own and about him as a professional.
Brainster: Gorjan, tell us from first hand what it is like to have an idea, to realize it and to actively work on it?
Gorjan: I have always wanted to work on something of my own, and it is even better than I have been growing AirCare for five years so that now I can fully dedicate myself to it. It’s a wonderful feeling!
Brainster: What does it take to realize your idea?
Gorjan: A lots of desire, research, knowledge and a little luck. Without a passion for the idea, you can’t accomplish anything. This is where the story ends. If you have a passion, you have to research if there is a market for your idea. Only then, if there is a market, to form a team with the necessary knowledge to perform it and a little luck to get things right. 🙂
Brainster: What did you learn through the creation and operation of AirCare? What do you want to pass on the others from what you have learned?
Gorjan: That every market is different and requires research. Especially in the Balkans, where we are quite sensitive about geopolitical differences. So it is a great challenge to find a way to approach them most neutrally, not to jeopardize the main purpose of the application.
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Brainster: Tell us about your experience at Booking.com. How did you get there?
Gorjan: A LinkedIn recruiter called me. Since then my LinkedIn account has jumped to the maximum. I recommend everyone to do the same thing because everybody is looking there.
Brainster: What were your responsibilities as a team leader?
Gorjan: My task was to take care of the team. For their health, happiness, productivity and task performance. And in that order. People always come first.
Brainster: What is the most important thing you learned there, and you want to convey it here?
Gorjan: I would say the most important thing is to understand that humans are not robots and that they cannot work 8 hours a day.
They also have private lives, responsibilities, worries. Someone broke up with their partner, someone’s parent may be in the hospital, someone running home because it’s leaking from their neighbour – many causes of stress that are reflected in the work. Managers must not forget them when they are talking to their colleagues.
>> What you missed: Gorjan Jovanovski on A/B testing for UX Design
Brainster: How much Front-End knowledge does a UX designer need?
Gorjan: In my opinion, a UX designer must know how to assemble basic designs into code by himself. By knowing the technology, you can know your limitations and thus not to ask for crazy things from the developers.
Brainster: Is programming your first and last love?
Gorjan: Programming is a passion. Love is for the people around me ❤️
If you want to learn further about UX/UI design and master your skill, we invite you to join our remote and live Bootcamp.
