What I Learned about Change as a Product Designer at Avito

I landed this job in mid 2017, working before that in small startups and studios. Avito is the first classified in the world with various business verticals and services. Imagine the hybrid of Craigslist, Amazon, and Airbnb, and you'll get the picture. It was founded by two Swedish entrepreneurs Jonas Nordlander and Filip Engelbert as a service that helps to give old things new life. This ecological mission is what got me hooked since day one.

I started working as a product designer, and step by step grew to manage a small but furious team. Positive, open and democratic culture established by founders is what made this journey not only educative but also inspiring. I gained huge amount of knowledge, met roughly a hundred brilliant people, and had tons of fun moments. One experience in a lifetime that I'm truly grateful for.

Couple of weeks ago I left Avito to explore new challenges. I participated in several major transformations company went through for almost seven years I was in, and happy to share some observations with you.

Disclaimer: all opinions in this post are based on my personal experience and don’t necessarily reflect how Avito operates.

TL;DR

• All substantial things are going to change. Learn to notice, embrace, and use these shifts to your benefit. Change is the only constant.
• Some things nevertheless will change very slowly or not at all. Study them with even more passion, because it's the foundation successful companies a built on.

Product changes

This is the most expected change of all, because you were hired to make it happen. But don't expect to notice it in a first month or two. The bigger the product, the slower it would change. When you are closely involved in company processes it's easy to loose the bird view and stuck in small details. The years of hard work would eventually pile up. Find a time to overview what was done, and you'll be pleased to be the part of that change.

A tip for designers — save a picture of a product you are going to work on at the first day of your job. You can compare it with the result you'll be leaving behind some time in the future. It also makes a solid illustration for your portfolio.

Plans change

When you spent couple of weeks learning about company strategy for the next year, gathering allied teams plans to achieve synergy, perfectly crafting your backlog and advocating it with stakeholders, it gets painful to throw it away because plans changed. Sometimes you can't help it. No one expected pandemic or war. They happened.

Hear me out, you can and should plan, but you'll never be ready when the real change appears. Deal with it and move on.

Your skills change

You will grow professionally, learn new skills, try new tools, and work on more complex projects. Years passing by, you'll look at your previous work and see it as garbage. This is a sign of growth. It is exactly why you joined the company in the first place. Not to trade your time for money, but rather to become a better designer and human being.

Perceive your time in a company more like an education than work. You came to learn, and there are plenty of opportunities for that.

Team changes

In a big company you get new people in a team on a quarterly basis. It's hard to get along with them, especially if you are an introvert like me. You invest time and energy getting to know them and adapting to their work style. And when you finally succeed, they leave. It does not get easier. I remember dozens of my teammates, and cherish moments we shared together. I learned a lot from them, and would not achieve that much without their help.

But don't get too sad. They leave for the better. Remember, that the basic part of a team is you. And the principles on which you build relationships with each teammate.

Managers change

I had seven of them for the past seven years. Some were nice, some were not. Some were driven to build a superior team and product, and some were building their self-esteem. Some were trying to teach you something, and some were fighting for influence in a company. I happened to build a deep connection with couple of them and happy for this progress.

Yeah, I know having a cool caring manager is great. But it doesn't really matter. Your personal and professional growth are your responsibility. And you can develop your skills in any circumstances.

Even office changes

When you arrive you will get a place in the office. The least comfortable one for a novice. But as time passes you'll move to a more cozy spot near the window. Meanwhile surroundings will change. One day you'll find yourself working from home, cafe or even new country with no office at all. And your macbook will be the only familiar thing around.

It's natural to organize your workplace and get used to it. But don't get too comfortable, because it's not the goal. Don’t forget, that you can create comfort anywhere you go next. And it’s always fun to do so.

There are definitely a lot I didn't mention. And yet some things will remain wonderfully untouched by the time.

Design basics don't change

Kinda obvious, but still noteworthy of talking about. If one day you study typography, contrast, color, layouts, interaction, and human behavior patterns, you can then use it through out all your career. Off course there will always be a room for improvement, enhancing different aspects of each skill, as well as exploring new styles.

Learn the basics hard, and you'll be alright.

Customers don’t change that much

They always want the best user experience at a lowest price. Plus maximum features, but in my experience it's not necessarily true. I suppose customer's expectations are hugely associated with product and brand. Unlike product they don't really change.

Study your customer's deeper needs and you'll be ahead of most designers. People using your product is the only reason you are getting your paycheck.

Brand changes very slowly

I guess as a product designer I have a distorted vision. But in my opinion it is extremely hard to change customer's perception of your brand. World is huge and full of things. Once people try your product, they give it a label in their head, and usually don't come back to revise it. So with all the effort of changing the way you communicate about your product, you'll get just a little fraction of ROI at best.

The following advice would not be easy to implement by product designer, but whenever you have a chance to convey something to your users, be deliberately conscious. Because they'll remember, and won't change their mind any time soon.

Culture doesn't change fast either

It is a DNA of a company. Ones established by founders it evolves, but never changes drastically. It is fascinating to see how new people struggle adopting it at first, but after multiple interactions with teammates they eventually become company's culture advocates. So it is crucial to set a proper inner culture and outer brand in the very beginning.

When thinking about joining new company try to learn as much as possible about it's values and work ethic. You won't have enough power to resist or even ignore it's culture ones you are in. Choose the one that correlates with your own values and you'll set yourself a perfect growing environment.

All in all things will change, and you may have hard times adapting to it. My advice would be plain. Design yourself first, before designing anything else. Establish your routines, set up personal goals, train your body and mind with deliberate practice, talk to designers outside your company. Provide your mind an empty space to wander. Breath out. Stay positive and smile. If everything changes, so can you.

Thank you for reading. I had a fun time reflecting on my experience and packing it in some useful tips. If you are seeking design related or personal growth mentorship, reach me on LinkedIn or Telegram and we will figure something out.