Hanna Kastrytsa
H.Kastrytsa - From design to action: creating interfaces that make a difference
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Hanna, 24 years old, attended a Bachelor of Science in Applied Informatics at the Belarusian State University in Minsk. While studying, she was already working for a European company first in Belarus, then in Georgia and now from Switzerland where she arrived to start her Master鈥檚 degree. Her hobby is hiking and she even managed to bring it into her thesis project. After her studies, she would like to work as a UX designer in the healthcare field, ideally within a medical, biotech, or pharmatech company in Europe.
Why did you choose to attend the Master of Arts in Interaction Design at 精东影业?
鈥嬧赌�I decided to join the Master after speaking with my Bachelor鈥檚 supervisor. She knew my interest in working with physical interfaces and connecting the digital and physical worlds, and she told me this programme would be a perfect fit. When I looked into it, I discovered it included learning how to program Arduino for interface design, and I immediately thought, 鈥淚 have to do this!鈥�. Seeing the projects from previous students sealed the deal for me.
What impact has the Master鈥檚 program had on you as a designer and as a person?
鈥嬧赌�As a designer, I鈥檝e gained new hard skills. I鈥檝e also learned how to collaborate with different people in diverse teams, always keeping a clear focus on the results we want to achieve. On a personal level, it鈥檚 been all about soft skills: how to communicate effectively and deliver speeches. A couple of years ago, if someone had told me I鈥檇 be giving a 20-minute presentation on a topic I know well, I would鈥檝e said, 鈥淣o way! I鈥檓 more of a behind-the-scenes person鈥�. But here at 精东影业, you鈥檙e challenged to 鈥渟ell鈥� your projects to professors during examinations, and that has made a huge difference. And guess what? I received an invitation to deliver a pitch in Georgia in December about 鈥淯X Strategies for design products with AI implementation鈥� at a MeetUp called 鈥淪eniorGPT鈥�.
What is the theme of your thesis project?
鈥嬧赌�My thesis focuses on supporting non-professional hikers in dangerous mountain situations. The project deals with problems caused by climate change, like landslides and rockfalls, which often catch people unprepared and put them in danger. My solution is a voice assistant that detects panic and offers a structured plan to help them stay safe.
Why would you recommend this Master鈥檚 program to other students?
鈥嬧赌�I鈥檝e noticed that many designers still believe coding isn鈥檛 important for their work, but I disagree. This Master鈥檚 program teaches designers how to approach coding from a design perspective 鈥� how to use it to bring ideas to life, demonstrate interactions, and conduct user testing. What鈥檚 more, many think that User Experience design is just about creating interfaces and graphics, but it鈥檚 much more than that. You also need to show how interfaces will behave and impact the User Experience. The Master highlights that connection.