History
I was too technical for art school to I was too technically oriented for art school to pursue my graphical interests so I went to study IT with aim to pursue graphics more digitally. I fitted right in and graduated high school acquiring various IT skills including a bit of digital graphics knowledge. The most valuable skill I gained though was analytical thinking and troubleshooting determination through resourcefulness. No matter what I did later in life these skills always got me far and to solution that helped.
I went straight to work after high school because I wasn’t ready for university yet. Instead of job of web editor I’ve applied to, I got an offer for a position of DTP operator and graphic designer for advertisement department of nation wide newspaper. After one year, when my contract was due to end, I didn’t extend it and instead went to work for shop specialising in equipment for bikers, where the job offered more variety. I worked on all print related graphical needs of the company starting with simple flyers, billboards or print graphics up to their yearly catalogue of all products (700 pages) and even their clothing line! It was very variable work. It was this time when I dared to ask if it would be possible for me to try for my dream to work in game industry. I never considered it as real option – in my childhood when I was deciding about my career options games weren’t as big as they are now and I couldn’t imagine making a living that way, but I wanted to try.
I quit my job and made a plan to study game design on university abroad. I started in language school to ramp up my English and then followed with HND Interactive Media studies on British university in Prague. Prague College gave me good expansion of my creative skills as well as technical ones, jump started my communication coma and showed me next course of action. I was too business oriented for this school where artistic direction was promoted heavily so for my third year I’ve applied for UK to attend the parent school – Teesside University, where the focus wasn’t purely art. I’ve enrolled into Game Design course for the final year of my bachelors study where I’ve specialised in UI design. I’ve oriented all my projects toward this specialisation because it combined my passion for visuals and game design.
By this time I’ve already known my dream job before I started there, because I’ve been on internship in the company I fell in love with before I started the school. My intent was to get professional skills so I could come back to work for them after I graduate. And I did.
I have worked in the military simulations industry for 6 years, where the products help train soldiers of the NATO alliance and the training helps to save their lives. I always admired the army / warrior culture and their sacrifice to protect us. This way I could use my skills to help them in doing their job well and even save their lives. This was the reason why I didn’t end up in game design industry. I found a passion that was stronger and held place closer to my heart.
The job taught me a lot and grew me in ways I never dared to think about. I will be forever grateful for the opportunity to grow from know-nothing idealistic junior to senior who has more realistic grasp on reality and can operate on whole new level. People often don’t trust me when I tell them I was shy to talk to even one person at a time when I’ve started and at the end I was able to lead workshops and discussions with 20+ attendees. My family has a saying: “hard on the training grounds, easy on the battlefield.” Thank you Bohemia Interactive Simulations for being my hardcore training grounds. I wouldn’t be where I am today without your opportunity you gave me.
Present
It was at the end of my path there when I worked on a side project to build mini games for training center in Skoda Auto. I was so grateful for this opportunity because it allowed me to try what I originally dreamed of and went to study for. With a small team of 1 programmer and one lead we built 10 mini games that were interpreting principles about electro mobility and it’s development and value to the employees (possible reach of 35 000 people running through the games in team building exercises). I was able to try how games can be built from scratch by creating the game mechanics from requirements and building graphics assets of each game to visualize them. It was tough work and I was very happy to have the opportunity to try it for myself.
After exhausting UX possibilities in BISIM, I wanted to go somewhere where I could learn more. An opportunity soon knocked on the door – by coincidence for the same company as I was doing the side project for. The work of an HMI designer was very exciting and interesting to me as I see great future in this field and great value to people if we can do the design well. Today machines are everywhere. From smart phone and watch we wear every day, to car we drive to work to complex machines that are used to build and operate things – including people. HMI builds a path for people to optimally cooperate with these machines in smooth efficient way. There is huge potential and value to be delivered and harnessed into making a better future for everyone. I hope I can be part of it.
What I’m passionate about
Learning and Self-Improvement
Not only I am obsessively curious in almost everything my brain can handle, but I believe that it’s true what Epictetus has said. “Only educated are free.” I believe in that because I’ve been able to test this in my own life. Only after I started to educate myself and learn and research information, I was able to make informed choices that have improved my life drastically.
Self-Improvement can be seen either as a wanted quality in “good” employee or something outdated trend of the past. BUT, have you ever noticed how the best villains in the movies are deadly smart, got perfect physique, know multiple levels of martial arts, eat well, are super productive and always have a goal and a plan to reach it with never ending motivation to get there? I see a big connection between all these areas because one supports the other. And who says you can’t take all of this and use it for good?
Design
This goes hand in hand with graphics. I like to design things. I am as arrogant as any other designer and always think I can make it better. In the past few years I have learnt how to listen to others, accommodate for what they need from it, bend it so it’s still usable for the target audience and learn that ANYONE can contribute constructively to design without being designer. All you have to do is collect their ideas, reactions and what the design makes them feel and do. Then simply take all this and iterate and improvement is there – with the help of others.
Mobile Games
I don’t have time to play big games as I used to so I settle for mobile. I can squeeze couple mins at almost any time and still get the fun and seeing how others shape UX too.
Health
It is one of the least appreciated part of everyone’s life while they have it and most difficult to work on when it’s not there. Today we have amazing options in combining new technologies and their use in personal life to improve health on daily basis – which is what ultimately makes the big progress. UX design stands a critical role in this area as it connects user behavior, their motivation, information representation and understanding and how to bring this all into action that can be handled by user. In the future I would love to contribute to this industry.
Plants
For me plants are the go to in appreciation. They give us oxygen, are critical part of ecosystem, give us many nutrients we need for proper functioning and their resiliency is admiration worthy. The things plants can survive never stop to amaze me.