Alumna Emilia Perttu: 'I had the courage to follow my dreams and put in the effort for what interested me'

Who are you? What did you study at the School of Business and when did you graduate?

I am Emilia Perttu and I majored in Information & Systems Management in my bachelor’s studies and in my master’s, I studied in the cross-disciplinary International Design Business Management program. I graduated in the spring 2020.

What was your dream job when you were little?

In middle and high school, I always dreamt of a cross-disciplinary career, where I wouldn’t have to choose just one field. I’ve always had multiple things that interest me, but I always knew that I wanted my work to be around technology and innovations. I’ve always been a dreamer and thought that only the sky was the limit! One of my dream jobs as a child was to be an inventor – I had a notebook where I would draw and write my ideas and stories about my future inventions.

How did your studies prepare you for the working life?

Primarily my studies taught me to learn, to research, and to think outside the box. I learned to handle big data and view myself, as well as the world around me, more critically. I learned about individual responsibility and the impact we have on everything around us. 

Moreover, I learned about possibilities – I was inspired and excited to learn all the things you can do in the world. And all the while there were intelligent and skilful people around me to guide and challenge my thinking. I also learned to have courage and to trust myself. I faced many challenges during my studies and overcoming them helped me to believe in myself and in my abilities to face challenges in the future.

What kind of a career path have you had?

During the first years of my studies, I loved everything that included computers and technology, but eventually I started to lose interest in fields that were purely business related. I’ve always had an eye for visual things and this way I took an interest in service design and visual designing in general. I set out to explore how I could combine my interdisciplinary interests, and the first step was the Information Technology Program (ITP) minor, where I was greatly inspired by its practical approach and seemingly tailor-made content that suited my needs perfectly.

After the ITP program I started to practice visual designing every chance I got. This naturally led me to apply for the IDBM master’s program. In IDBM I learned about service design and design thinking, which provided me tools to become a designer. We also had an Industry Project, where we consulted a company.

How did you end up in your current job? What kind of responsibilities and tasks does your job include?

I knew I wanted to work in a digital or advertising agency due to its variety and interesting clients, and I got a position at the hybrid agency Nitro. Nitro handles marketing, digital services, and film production, which has further diversified my understanding of various fields.

I currently work as a lead UI/UX designer. UI stands for User Interface, and UX stands for User Experience, so I design user interfaces and their user experiences. In practice, I mainly design websites and various digital services.

My projects and tasks are quite diverse. A typical project of mine involves website redesign, where we enhance usability and update the visual appearance to make it more modern and appealing. I research usability of services and consider what site structures would best serve user needs. At this point, I also consider business goals – I align them with the company’s strategy and think how a digital service could support this. My task is to find the best solution between the company’s goals, user needs, and technical feasibility, which can sometimes be challenging. Based on these thoughts, I eventually design visually polished user interfaces that are enjoyable to use and in line with the brand’s values and concept.

My workweek also includes a lot of communication with my team, as we collaborate to design various options for clients and share insights and industry news among ourselves. I also facilitate workshops for clients and lead internal digital design development efforts.

A typical workday for me consists of approximately 30-50 per cent of communication and meetings, and the rest of the time, I plan and advance client or development projects.

The most significant difference between my work life and studying, for me, has been the allocation of time. In the professional world, I engage in much more productive concrete work. There are clear expectations for me, for which I am compensated, and work results in clear outcomes, tight schedules, and constraints. During studies, I had more time for exploration, contemplation, dreaming, and experimentation – this is something I miss. In the professional world, one can and should engage in these activities, but they often take a back seat to other priorities. Fortunately, my job involves ideation and innovation, so in that sense, I can still engage in these activities, although often it’s on behalf of others rather than for myself.

What are the most significant trends shaping the working life of your field?

It probably won’t come as a surprise that artificial intelligence is one of the key trends. Work is becoming increasingly fast-paced and efficient. The significance of productive work is decreasing, while original thinking and emotion-based design are becoming more emphasized. The digital landscape is saturated with services, which means that innovation and differentiation require bold and substantial steps.

Responsibility and ethics are continually gaining prominence, which is purely a positive development. Accessibility and inclusive design have become basic requirements rather than optional additions. We are now thinking more comprehensively about people’s needs in design, considering diverse perspectives, constraints, and the construction of an equitable society.

Learn more about Emilia's career path and studies on LinkedIN!