Meet Andrea Anderson - Head of User & Information Experience at Guidewire

Summary

Andrea Anderson, the head of user experience at Guidewire, shares her non-traditional journey into design from a business school background. She emphasizes the importance of diversity in her team, which includes designers, researchers, and product managers, all contributing to a rich tapestry of perspectives. Anderson discusses the team's focus on cloud applications, digital consultancy, a design system tailored for the insurance industry, and user research. She invites potential team members to join Guidewire's innovative and globally collaborative environment.

Takeaways

• 😀 Andrea Anderson is the head of user experience at Guidewire, having been with the company for three years.
• 👩‍💼 She manages a diverse team including designers, user researchers, design leaders, product managers, focusing on all aspects of design and user experience.
• 🚀 Andrea's journey into design was not traditional; she came from a business school background and transitioned into the software world from credit management.
• 🤔 Her curiosity about software functionality led her to join a design services team, where she was trained by IDEO in their innovative methodology.
• 📚 Andrea emphasizes the importance of learning when teaching others, which has led her to gain expertise in various areas of design.
• 💼 She recommends that designers have business and engineering knowledge, and vice versa, to foster a more comprehensive understanding in the field.
• 🌐 Guidewire's design team operates on four main pillars: cloud application design, customer experience design, a design system with a component library, and user research.
• 🔍 The design team also focuses on the information experience, ensuring that users can easily access and understand product information.
• 🌈 Andrea believes in the power of diversity within a design team, highlighting the value of different opinions, backgrounds, and experiences.
• 🌟 She encourages hiring from different backgrounds and without necessarily requiring insurance experience, to bring fresh perspectives to the team.
• 🌍 Guidewire Design has a global team spread across various locations, including Krakow, Dublin, and San Mateo, with a strong focus on virtual collaboration and team bonding.

Q & A

How long has Andrea Anderson been with Guidewire?

Andrea Anderson has been with Guidewire for three years.

What is Andrea Anderson's role at Guidewire?

Andrea Anderson is the head of user experience at Guidewire, managing a team of designers, user researchers, design leaders, and product managers.

What was Andrea's background before she joined the software world?

Andrea came from a Business School background and initially worked in credit management before transitioning to the software industry.

How did Andrea get involved in design?

Andrea was given the opportunity to join a design services team at the company she was working for, which led her to be trained by IDEO and learn about design methodology.

What is the main focus of the design team at Guidewire?

The design team at Guidewire focuses on four main pillars: designing cloud applications, helping digital consultancies design customer experiences, owning the design system, and conducting user research and documentation.

How does Andrea define diversity in the context of a design team?

Andrea defines diversity as having different opinions, backgrounds, impressions, and experiences within the team, which leads to a healthy debate and joint wisdom.

What is the role of the design system at Guidewire?

The design system at Guidewire includes a component library and pre-made UI components optimized for the property and casualty insurance industry, which designers and developers can use.

What does Andrea recommend for designers, engineers, and product managers to enhance their skills?

Andrea recommends that designers have some business and engineering knowledge, engineers take a design class, and product managers learn about design thinking to broaden their perspectives.

How does Andrea describe the journey of learning about design and teaching it to others?

Andrea describes it as an amazing journey of almost 20 years, where she learned a lot about various aspects of design and the importance of teaching what she learned to others.

What is the composition of the Guidewire design team in terms of locations?

The Guidewire design team is composed of teams in Krakow, Dublin, Ireland, San Mateo, CA, and other locations across the US and Europe.

What advice would Andrea give to someone planning to join the Guidewire design team?

Andrea would advise that working at Guidewire offers a defined space with opportunities for innovation and a great, globally distributed team that has figured out how to collaborate and have fun virtually.