Dear Anneline
You are an incredibly creative woman with an entrepreneurial mindset. You carry graphic design in your blood and work 80% for Adnovum as a Senior UX and UI Designer. On top of that you work 20% (or probably more) for PlaceToBee, an online platform that connects epicurean campers with Swiss producers, of which you are a co-founder.
We’re curious to know: How do you combine working for Adnovum and your independent work for PlaceToBee?
The 80/20 principle has proven highly effective, thanks to my exceptional business partner at PlaceToBee.
Since day one, our collaboration has thriven on remarkable synergies. He crafted the first draft of our mobile app, and I gradually contributed my expertise until we jointly founded our company. Subsequently, I've been able to apply the knowledge and skills gained from my role at Adnovum, and conversely, integrate insights from new fields I've explored into my work for Adnovum back.
For Adnovum, my side business hasn’t been a problem at all as they never considered it a competition. Quite the contrary was the case! They consistently inquired about how they could provide assistance and asked how things are going.
Can you give an example about this?
Absolutely! For example, we were given the opportunity to develop the first mobile app (MVP) for PlaceToBee with our intern of the research and development team in Hungary. In addition to that, I was fortunate to have an exceptional career coach whom you also interviewed (Marie-France) and who always supported my professional growth and enabled my career’s development.
That’s amazing! What other big achievements in your career come to your mind?
One very important point is that, at Adnovum, I always get to put into practice what I’ve learned in theory, and I get to work on amazing projects. This combination is very rewarding to me. Another point, of course, was to build my own company on the side. And I’m also very proud and grateful that I could become a vocational trainer aka «UX mama» for our UX apprentice.
Finally, as someone with a highly creative mindset, achieving a strong balance between creativity and structure has been a significant personal milestone and key factor for my career. I've come to recognize that by infusing structure into my creative processes, my productivity has increased by more than 100%.
When you joined Adnovum about 5.5 years ago, what made you choose Adnovum over others?
I didn’t choose Adnovum – Adnovum chose me! (giggles) They trusted me and my skillset and thus invited me to become the UX Designer I am today.
Also, for someone creative with a graphic design background, working in IT may sound ultra-boring. But Adnovum proved me wrong from the very first day. I got the opportunity to work on some super exciting projects, such as the new Mobility app.
The project recently won the Best of Swiss Apps Award and brought home three medals: two gold medals for Design and UX & Usability, one silver medal for Functionality, as well as the main title «Master of Swiss Apps» itself!
Wow, that’s impressive! You and the team can all be proud!
But now talking about «women at work»: Where do you see Adnovum in 10 years with regards to working style and gender equality?
The working style surely will become more and more flexible as it already started to show with initiatives like #newwork and #workfromanywhere. Additionally, I believe that much like in other companies, there will be a growing need for greater transparency in salary structures, as well as a heightened focus on taking women's contributions more seriously.
Have you ever experienced the glass ceiling since working at Adnovum or elsewhere? Or in other words: Did you ever face a situation where you were slowed down in achieving the next milestones due to being a woman?
I personally never experienced a glass ceiling during my career as I was always able to make my point. Maybe because of my character? I don’t know.
But during my career, I did notice in some instances a behavior that could be considered biased against women, with a particular focus on external interactions. Interestingly, these behaviors were more commonly exhibited by women toward other women, rather than by men. I found that quite surprising.
Who was or is your role model?
That’s an easy one! This is undoubtedly my grandfather. He was a member of the French Resistance between 1942 and 1944, and clandestinely transported weapons and ammunition concealed within wooden bike boxes from his own bike shop. His sense of humor and unwavering character left a profound impression on me. His rebellious spirit, humor and wit have undeniably influenced my own personality.
Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Anneline! It’s been great diving into your world.
