From Würzburg to the World

What do graduates of Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg (JMU) do for a living? In order to present students with different perspectives, Michaela Thiel, Managing Director of the central alumni network, interviewed selected alumni. This time it's Philipp Roth's turn.

Roth completed the Human-Computer Systems degree programme at JMU and now works as a User Experience Architect & Team Lead at Stoll von Gáti.

Mr Roth, what are the main focuses of your chosen degree programme? My degree programme focuses on the design, implementation and evaluation of digital tools and solutions. Design" is about gaining knowledge about the principles of communication design and practical experience, which can then be applied together with the use of evaluation results in an iterative design process. Implementation" involves knowledge of different programming languages and principles in order to quickly prototype and build a general competence and knowledge of computer science for effective communication and decision making. Evaluation includes interviewing, surveys and other needs analysis methods as well as usability testing, experimental design and statistical analysis and interpretation of results.

And how would you describe your current job to a layperson? As User Experience Architect and Team Lead Concept & Design at Stoll von Gáti, I work with the team to take care of all the conceptual issues that need to be clarified before a project can be realised. This includes the content, structural, technical and visual concept. I am also active in customer consulting and take care of project management and project organisation for one project or another. As a digital media agency, we serve a wide variety of platforms (web, app, AR/VR, interactive, etc.), so every concept is unique. Last but not least, as team lead I am responsible for the technical and disciplinary aspects of a team of UX/UI designers, creative concept developers and project managers.

What do you particularly love about your job? The diversity of the customers and the variance in the projects means that no two days are the same. Between client meetings and workshops, creating concepts and wireframes and managing a team from a technical and disciplinary point of view, there are various other "ricochets" that have to be reckoned with at all times. For many people, this type of work might be too unpredictable and therefore a stressor, but for me that's exactly what makes the job so special. As a result, I have new challenges every day that have to be overcome and that allow me to grow professionally and personally.

What advice would you give to students who want to follow a similar career path? From my point of view, it is important to keep up to date with the latest trends in the field and to have a personal interest in these topics. The combination of psychology and computer science is perhaps not the most obvious, but as digitalisation continues to advance, the "collaboration" between man and machine is becoming increasingly important. For me, the content of the Human-Computer Systems degree programme is therefore exactly in tune with the spirit of the times. In my opinion, a mixture of technical affinity and the fun of working with people is just as important as the constant drive for new knowledge.

What is your favourite study memory? I always have fond memories of the brainstorming sessions with my fellow students, as these often resulted in exciting ideas. Especially in the summer months, when they could take place outside, the university campus had something idyllic for me and you could feel the creative energy that everyone had. I was also lucky enough to be able to put the knowledge I learnt during my studies directly into practice in a start-up and expand it at the same time.

Thank you very much for the interview.

Are you not yet a member of the university's alumni network? Then you are cordially invited to register via the network's website. There you can also find the previously published interviews with JMU alumni and alumnae.