Continuing on our growth trajectory, Triggerfish recently welcomed Sasha Kos to the team as UX Designer. I sat down with Sasha to chat about her background, what drives her personally and professionally, and why she chose us.
Tell us a bit about your professional background
I’ve held various design roles across a wide range of industries in four different cities (and two countries). My career started in front-end web development in 2000 and steered across branding, print, packaging and advertising over the years. I’ve lived in 4 different cities in the last 15 years, so I’ve been freelancing and contracting for different companies and organisations for more than half of my career. I’ve been a part of many teams locally and remotely and have often dealt with clients directly. I am technically an ‘all-rounder’ but would like to specialise in human-centric design (UX and CX) moving forward.
What do you like to do outside of work?
My biggest passion outside of work is ice skating and playing (ice) hockey. It’s a fast-paced team sport that requires an impressive list of skills such as hand-eye coordination, endurance, strength, agility and balance. Individual skill matters, but essentially what matters the most is team chemistry and teamwork. You heavily rely on each other and you can’t win on individual talent alone. Hockey has taught me a lot about team play and I have gained valuable collaborative skills as a result of playing a team sport.
In January 2018 I broke my leg during a hockey practice. The injury was quite severe and life-changing. I have temporarily lost the freedom of mobility, endured 3 surgeries and many months of pain. But somehow, I was able to remain positive, determined and fully dedicated to my recovery. The painful experience forced me to grow as a person and learn new skills. I stayed focused on the things that I could (still) do and not so much on the things that I could not. During the 3 months of immobilisation (not being able to walk) I had the perfect opportunity to start learning to play the piano, which is something I’ve always wanted to do. So, I guess every negative situation does have a silver lining, if you choose to see it. Difficult events in life definitely force you to change and adapt.
What drives you, personally or professionally?
Having a purpose. Being useful. Making a difference. Self-improvement, developing new skills, solving problems. Being a good person and a good parent. Continuously growing into the best version of myself.
Why did you choose Triggerfish?
I’ve worked with Triggerfish as a contractor and had a very positive experience, so I was thrilled when I was offered a permanent position on the team. Joining Triggerfish is a great opportunity for me to work on UX/CX projects and be part of an extremely talented, skilled and self-driven team. My objective is to help our clients grow their business and further develop my own skills as a UX Designer. I’m especially excited about working closely with the Experience Director Aaron Collyer. We have very complimentary set of skills and have worked well together in the past.
What do you hope to achieve in your seat?
To increase efficiency and optimise the product development process by implementing and continuously developing a Design System. To keep our clients happy by meeting the objectives of the brief and helping them achieve their business goals. To further develop the Triggerfish brand in order to support the agency’s growth.