by Elizabeth Lavis | 28 Oct 2021
For Belfug Sener, Senior User Experience Designer at Motorola Solutions, courage is the primary starting point of any excellent design. “Be brave,” she said. “Never be afraid of making mistakes or not being perfect. As Edison once explained, ‘I haven’t failed. I have just found 10,000 ways that will not work.’”
Sener grew up in Turkey but currently lives in the United States, where she leans heavily on culture, emotion, and experience to fuel her innovative design. “Inspiration is everywhere,” she said. “It could be a famous designer, a family member, a peer, a pet in your neighborhood, or a coffee pot in your home.”
A curious empath from childhood, Sener learned a lot from observing the world around her, citing design at the thread that ties together her purpose and helps her connect with people and influence their lives for the better. “Anything in life inspires me to create my designs,” she said.
These days, in addition to influences from her day-to-day life, Sener draws fresh perspective from online sources and forums that spearhead design trends, like UX Planet, Dribble, and Fast Company. She’s a voracious reader, learning as much as possible about the field that she’s designing for in an effort to create the best possible product for the customer.
Her thorough, systematic approach allows her to build client trust rapidly. “I have a devotion to details and the ability to understand the cause of problems,” she said. This allows Sener to find innovative, forward-thinking solutions. She also takes client criticism in stride, seeing it as a valuable part of the creative process.
“To be honest, critical feedback is one of the best parts of being a UX designer,” she said. “It always motivates me to find a better solution if needed.” Sener fosters trust with her clients by being as transparent and honest as possible. “Building a relationship with the client is very important and can only be achieved through transparent communication,” she said.
Sener also derives joy from seeing the finished product in action. “I like to observe how end-users engage with the product by themselves,” she said. Sener’s detailed process and ability to solicit trust and respect from her clients is only surpassed by her ability to handle pressure and stress like a seasoned professional.
“I always try to stay calm, motivated, and adhere to project deadlines with my time management skills,” she said. “I am a good listener and collaborator. I have a proactive personality that helps me in both my professional and personal lives.” Sener would like to pass on some of her knowledge to up-and-coming designers and hone her UX design skills moving forward, although she remains flexible and aware that life can throw some curveballs.
“To be honest, it is hard to put down long-term plans because life is full of surprises. 2020 is a great example of this,” she said. Still, there is no doubt that Sener will continue to move forward and enchant us with her cutting-edge UX design. In the meantime, she plans to continue her inspiring lifestyle through reading, visualization, meditation, and travel.