Hey! Alan here

I'm a designer, researcher and an okayish coder

My relation to design

I work at the intersection of design, research, and development. To be precise, I focus on interface design, user studies, usability analysis, and application development, primarily focused on web and mobile interfaces. It is challenging to be juggling these three disciplines at once, but the nature of innovation and innovative products requires an interdisciplinary approach. Therefore, I see the need to nurture an interdisciplinary approach.

My software engineering philosophy is fairly summarized by what Maggie Appleton said about modern software engineering. She said that software design and development aren't two different disciplines. They are the same discipline grotesquely chopped into two halves, leaving us with poorly designed, buggy, and inelegant software. Good software is tailored to users' needs and wants. Therefore, good software requires a thorough understanding of its users and their goals. Disciplines such as social sciences and cognitive sciences that focus on the humanistic side of the equation play a crucial role.

In terms of education, I have a Bachelor's in Computer Science and Engineering, followed by a Master's in Human-Computer Interaction. My skill set lies in interface design, performing user studies, and frontend engineering. Check out my projects to better understand my skill set.

A slice of my professional history

I started my career by working for a startup during my bachelor's degree. I completed my Bachelor's in Computer Science and Engineering at SRM Institute of Science and Technology. I joined a startup called WisOpt as an Android developer but later realized that my interest lies within UX and design. Following that role, I joined 2adpro, now a subsidiary of Deloitte Digital, as a Graphic Designer, as I thought that visual design is possibly the most important aspect of UX design.

After that, I got an interesting opportunity to make an impact at a fairly young startup called Surfboard Payments, where I honed the role of a design engineer. This role shaped my skill set and deepened my understanding of startups and software design and development in general.

In 2022, I decided to pursue my master's education at Uppsala University. I graduated in September 2024, not just with a Master's degree in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), but with a broadened understanding of the term "user experience" and all the nuances it encompasses.

Prior to my master's, my skill set was limited to frontend development using the latest JavaScript frameworks. However, my master's equipped me with research methods and methodologies focusing on performing user studies and usability studies.

What is this website?

This website is not just my portfolio, but a repository of ideas and opinions. I believe in authenticity, and I believe that authenticity ultimately wins. Through this website, I aim to portray the authentic me, not just a collection of projects. Although I am proud of my projects, I am more than just my projects. My aim with this website is to create a digital embodiment of myself, Alan Christian—a little space of my own, my own little digital garden.